SUMMER: A SEASON FOR LEARN-BY-DOING OPPORTUNITIES
How do you learn new things? Some of us learn by reading about it in a book. Others learn new things by listening to a podcast or the radio. Yet, others learn by seeing it on TV. However, it becomes ingrained in our minds through practice. No wonder we have to put so many hours behind the wheel before taking that driving test or we first try making and tasting a new dish ourselves before serving it to our guests.
And there is research to back up this assertion. It is called the “70:20:10” principle. That is, 70% of our learning comes by doing, either through on-the-job training or trial and error. 20% of our learning comes by interaction through feedback, coaching, or mentoring. The final 10% of learning comes by listening whether through conferences, seminars, courses, or formal/classroom education.
Unfortunately, the Church often applies this principle backwards. We tend to devote 70% to teaching, 20% to talking about it, and only spending 10% to doing it. We reinforce this with our participation. We are comfortable with the arrangement of spending more time listening to a sermon or discussing a passage in Sunday school or in a Bible study than applying through action. Thankfully, we are beginning to reverse the trend. Instead of just talking about missions, some of us actually went out to serve the refugees in Sacramento. Instead of just talking about discipleship, a group went on campus to share the gospel and had amazing results.
When we look into the Scriptures, we will discover that effective learning took place at the 70% doing, 20% interaction, and 10% teaching ratio. Before Joshua took over for Moses in leading the Israelites into the Promised Land, he had been Moses’ personal assistant since his youth (Exodus 33:11). Ruth the Moabite watched how her mother-in- law, Naomi, dealt with personal tragedy (a famine and the death of her husband and two sons). This observation led to her faith declaration of Naomi’s God becoming her God (Ruth 1:16). Jesus spent three years with his disciples not only teaching them but sending them out on missions (Mark 6:7). The Apostle Paul after discipling Titus, Timothy, Priscilla and Aquila, sent them out to minister to various churches (Titus 1:5, 1 Timothy 1:3, 2 Timothy 4:9-13).
Summers are often filled with activities that lend towards learning by doing opportunities. During your family trips and vacations, model your faith by visiting a church on a Sunday, rotating praying for meals, or sharing faith-related stories during the long drives. Summers are also times for learn-by-doing activities like missions trips, camps, retreats, and Vacation Bible School (VBS). Oftentimes, life-changing decisions are made during those church-related activities. Some to salvation and others choosing to walk closer with the Lord.
The key to making such activities as learn-by-doing events is planning. Being intentional. Church-related activities usually have an intentional learning by doing component. So, parents partner with the activities coordinators and find out what your children are learning and see how you can reinforce that new information, skills, biblical principles, and application at home. Adults and youths should look for accountability partners to remind them of the commitments made. The best influencers are those who model what they “preach.”
Pastor Philip Gee
The Meaning of Life
Leaving the cemetery, some of the family was sobbing: “All is finished.” Others were sniffing: “Come, come, my dear, courage: it’s finished!” Some friends murmured: “Poor man, that’s how we’ll all finish.” And others sighed in relief: “Well, it’s finished.”
-Michel Quoist
Life, what is the meaning of life? How do I find the purpose of my life so that I can live a satisfying life? Can I do something that will have lasting value? Many people never stop to think about what the meaning of life is. A famous businessman was asked what advice he wished he had received when he first started his career. He replied: ”I wish someone had told me that when you get to the top, there is nothing there.” For many years after pursuing hard, I found that many goals were actually empty. Many think that they can find the meaning of life through their pursuits. These pursuits include: a successful career, wealth, good relationships with others, entertainment, and doing good deeds, etc. In the end, many testify that despite having wealth, relationships, and fun, they still feel a deep emptiness inside—a void that nothing can fill. The author of Ecclesiastes describes this feeling as “Vanity of vanities, vanity of vanities, all is vanity!”
The flip side of finding meaning in Life is the reality of death. Regarding the subject of death, we don’t want to think about it, and we don’t want to talk about it. When we talk about death in the Chinese culture, we do not mention the actual word “death.” Instead, we will give death nice names: “gone,” “passed away,” “to leave,” “to ascend/return to heaven,” “immortal roaming,” “to stretch out one’s legs,” and “to return west,” etc. In fact, it is the same in other cultures. We want to avoid things related to death but death cannot be avoided. Ecclesiastes 8:8 states that no one has power over life to retain life; no one has power over death; no one can escape. There is a saying: ”You never know which will come first: tomorrow or the Accident.“ This accident means death. In fact, the accident we are talking about may be caused by an accident but death is not an accident. Death is a “must” to happen. Death is a fact that each of us must face.
People don’t like to hear about death, so why does the Bible specifically talk about death? For example, Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to a house of pleasure; for death is the end of all, and the living shall take it to heart.” The Bible says this again and again, just to get everyone’s attention and take it to their heart. Death is a fact that everyone must face.
Death was not God’s intention. God originally created man to live. When God breathed into the nostrils of Adam, he became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). God created man in his own image and to enjoy eternal fellowship with God (Genesis 1:26, 3:8). God gave Adam the responsibility to work the land and care for the animals- to tend all that God has created (Genesis 1:26). God created Man not only to live but to experience the abundant life- one of meaning (reflect God’s image) and purpose (care for creation). However, when Adam and Eve sinned, sin entered the world. Death brought the curse of sin: physical mortality and spiritual separation. For Humanity, death and a broken relationship with God became a reality. God made a promise to Adam and Eve to one day send a Redeemer who would pay for the penalty of sin, restore Man’s broken relationship with God, and provide a way to live the abundant life God had originally intended for us to experience.
For many, it is only when Death stares us straight in the face that we begin to grapple with the matters of finding purpose and meaning in living. Without help, our search will only lead to greater confusion and pessimism. Thankfully, God gives us books like Ecclesiastes that explores the themes of life, its meaning and purpose. Some feel that reading Ecclesiastes makes them negative and pessimistic. Ecclesiastes talks about life and requires us to face the issue of death truly, because only when a person truly faces the cruelty of death can he know the preciousness of life and cherish every day he is alive more. Yet, in its pessimism, there is the confidence of a very positive outcome. So, in my future posts, we will look into the book of Ecclesiastes and discover the true meaning of life.
To be continued…
-Pastor Kelvin Chiu
AVOID THE MANDELA EFFECT
2023 December
Have you ever believed in something that you thought to be true, only to find out that you remembered it wrong? For example, most of us remember the evil witch in Snow White saying, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” In reality, the queen says, “Magic mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” The majority of people will say that the Statue of Liberty is located on Ellis Island. But in reality, it’s located on Liberty Island. What famous movie line does Darth Vader say to Luke Skywalker at the end of The Empire Strikes Back? Almost every person on Earth, when asked, will immediately state, “Luke, I am your father.” In reality, this line does not exist. Rather, Darth Vader says, “No, I am your father.” Despite the fact that millions upon millions of people can claim to have watched The Empire Strikes Back dozens, if not hundreds of times, they still misremember its most famous quote.
This is called the Mandela Effect. The Mandela Effect is a phenomenon in which a large group of people shares a false memory. The term was coined by writer Fiona Broome, who discovered that she and others distinctly remembered Nelson Mandela dying in prison in the 1980s, when in fact he survived and went on to become South Africa’s first black president.
Sadly, the Mandela Effect affects what we think the Bible teaches. Heaven is described as a place where the lion will lie down with the lamb. We buy into this picture because we see paintings of a lion laying next to a lamb. Unfortunately, the Bible says that the wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, and the calf and the lion and the yearling together (Isaiah 11:6). We incorrectly recall Delilah cutting Samson's hair when, in actuality, Delilah calls a man to shave off Samson's seven braids of hair (Judges 16:19).
When it comes to the birth of Jesus, more of our understanding comes from Christmas carols, paintings, and movies. The heavenly host of angels speak, not sing (Luke 2:13). The Bible does not tell us how many wise men to shepherds came to greet Jesus. Nor do we know if the wise men rode on camels. We do know that the shepherds met baby Jesus in a barn on the night he was born (Luke 2:12, 16). The wise men came months later since they started on the journey after Jesus was born and they found the child in a house, not a barn (Matthew 2:11). So do not believe all those nativity scenes that have the shepherds and wise men together worshipping Jesus.
Why do we believe what we remember incorrectly? Partly, it is due to how we want to remember things. The gist is good enough, never mind the details. Since the Mandela Effect is a group phenomenon, others naturally reinforce what we already believe to be true. Finally, we do not like change- even if it is by Truth.
Jesus had to fight the Mandela Effect of his day. The gospels often cite Jesus saying, "You have heard it said..." then he retorts with a corrective "but." So, combat the Mandela Effect by going to the Truth, God's Word. The Effect is just one of Satan's tools to deceive us and blind us from the light of God's Word (2 Corinthians 4). Evaluate traditions no matter how old they are and how good they sound. Be guided by the Holy Spirit instead of society. The Bereans were more noble because they examined what was said by the standard of Scripture. Finally, realize that testing every thought is counter cultural. However, God is calling us to be biblical, not popular.
Pastor Philip Gee
Try Something New: Reading the Bible Devotionally
Have you ever noticed that when you search for an item on the internet, you can organize the information by brand, popularity, price (low to high or high to low), etc.? Each yielding a different set of answers. The same can be said of how we read the Bible. Traditionally, we have been conditioned to follow the inductive Bible study method looking for information, trying to understand the text, and making some application. However, this approach may feed the mind but leave the heart cold because while getting more knowledge about God, we have not gotten closer to God. Hence, the need to consider the Lectio Divina method of reading the Bible.
The purpose of Lectio Divina is to train our minds and hearts to meditate and pray thus promoting one's communion with God and increasing one's knowledge of God’s Word. It does not treat Scripture as texts to be studied but as the living Word. Christian blogger Lauren Washer puts it this way: “Seeds sit in the dark for a long time before they germinate, but that time in the dirt–pushed way down where nothing is visible–is not wasted. Life is there and eventually it will burst forth. Any kind of growth is a process; we need to embrace this process with our faith, believing that the Holy Spirit is doing his transforming work.”
The Lectio Divina method of reading God's Word is divided into four separate steps: Lectio (Read), Meditatio (Reflect), Oratio (Respond) and Contemplatio (Rest). In a nutshell, a person first reads a passage of Scripture, then reflects upon the meaning of the passage, and then followed by a time of prayer and meditation on the passage.
Preparation:
Pick a passage and then spend 15 minutes praying and asking God to give you a quiet heart and mind. We can pray something like, “God, let us hear the word from you…” and spend a few moments sitting quietly to prepare our hearts to hear the words from God.
Lectio (Read):
The first step is to read (or listen to a recording of) the passage slowly, perhaps several times. Listen carefully for any words or phrases that seem to jump out. Wait patiently for God to give gentle guidance.
Meditatio (Reflect):
In the second step, we will continue to focus further on the point(s) we became aware of during the first reading. Slowly and prayerfully and ask: What is God saying to me in this passage? Offering me and asking me? This second step involves meditating upon the words or phrases that seem to jump out.
It is generally advised not to try assigning a meaning but wait for the Holy Spirit to illuminate our spirit, as the passage is meditated upon. For example, Jesus tells his disciples during the Last Supper, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you" (John 14:27). passage the statement by Jesus during the Last Supper in: “An analytical/inductive approach would have us focus on why Jesus said that, the fact that it was said at the Last Supper, and the context within the biblical episode. So rather than "dissecting peace" in an analytical manner, the practitioner of Lectio Divina seeks to "enter peace" and share the peace of Christ. The focus will thus be on achieving peace via a closer communion with God rather than a biblical analysis of the passage.
Oratio (Respond)
After several readings of the passages and meditation, it is time to respond. Respond to God from your heart. Speak to God of your feelings and insights. Record it in your spiritual journal immediately because we are prone to forget what we have learned. We can also respond in prayer which gives us the opportunity for a conversation with God.
Contemplatio (Rest)
Finally, we are ready to read the passage one more time. Sit quietly and pray to God, asking, “What are you saying to me?” Spend some quiet time and wait for God’s message(s) and keep listening. In the end, it might be helpful to jot down God’s messages in a journal about what arose during this time- what did we tell God and how did God respond to us?
Lectio Divina, reading God's Word devotionally, helps us hear specifically and individually from God through the Holy Scripture, guided by the Holy Spirit, and deepens our relationship with Him. Hopefully, this approach will enrich your reading of God's Word and quiet time with God.
For another example of the Lectio Divina approach to reading Scripture, visit:
http://www.hopecanteen.org/praying-with-psalm-131/
Pastor Kelvin Chiu
THE GOD WHO HEARS
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14
They say that the last sense that goes before a person's passing is hearing. Family members and friends are encouraged to speak to a person who may be in a comatose state because they probably can hear us though they may not be able to respond. Hearing is a wonderful gift from God. It can affect how we learn, communicate, and worship. It should not surprise you that Jesus healed people who were deaf (Mark 7:31-37, Matthew 15:29-31).
God Hears Us
Whether God has actual ears like humans, we do not know. However, the Bible assures us that God does hear us. In the garden of Eden, God called out to Adam and He heard Adam's response and explanation for their hiding and fall (Genesis 3:9-13). It was during the time of Seth that "men began to call on the name of the Lord" (Genesis 4:16). Here you have the rudimental connection between worship and verbal praise, Man speaking or singing and God hearing.
In the calling of Moses, God said that He heard the cry of the Israelites who were suffering under the hands of the Egyptians (Exodus 2:23-25, 3:7,9). As God's people walked further away, God entreated them through the prophets to cry out to Him promising, "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear" because " Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear." (Isaiah 65:24, 59:1). However, God's plea fell on deaf ears and God's people went into exile. As Nehemiah prepared to lead the third return during the Babylonian exile, he asked, " O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name..." (Nehemiah 1:11).
Yes, God hears us. "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:12). Because "The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; 16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles." (Psalm 34:15-17).
Pray Towards Jerusalem?
One may recall the story of Daniel being thrown into the lions' den for praying to his God instead of King Darius (Daniel 6). One of the details of Daniel's prayer life is that he prayed three times a day and that he prayed towards Jerusalem. Daniel was probably following the traditions set in the Scriptures: "In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears." (Psalm 18:6); and "To you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit. 2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place." (Psalm 28:1-2).
Yet as we compare other passages that encourage us to pray, no geographic direction is given. Praying towards Jerusalem does not give our prayers any advantage. Or to frame it in terms of God hearing us, God is not bound to one geographic location so He can hear us wherever we are and whatever direction we happen to face (Psalm 130:1-2, Isaiah 55:3, 1 John 5:14-15).
However...
Though God has ears and can listen. God warns what hinders Him from answering.
•Sin If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. (Psalm 66:18)
•Pride The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14)
•Disobedience If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable. (Proverbs 28:9)
-Pastor Philip Gee
TUNING OUR EARS TO HEAR GOD’S VOICE
We live in a world where everyone and everything is fighting for our attention. That is part of living in a busy and noisy world. We constantly hear the footsteps of people in a hurry and cars rushing off to their next appointment. If we were to stop long enough, we would hear the quickening heartbeats of society chasing after what the world offers- the latest and greatest. And the beat goes on. Even Christians can get seduced by the Noise to where they cannot hear God’s voice.
The Shema Yisrael (Deuteronomy 6:4) serves as the centerpiece of the Jews who recite it in their morning and evening prayers. It affirms the one-God doctrine of Judaism and is used in everyday prayers, and begins “Hear, O Israel.” That is, when a person prays to God, there is the posture of listening to God. Jesus reiterates this very principle using the analogy of sheep to their shepherd: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27). Israel’s problem was that though they had ears, they were not listening (Matthew 13:14-15). They were like the seeds that fell on the hard soil that were immediately taken away by the birds (Matthew 13:3-9; Mark 4:3-9; Luke 8:5-8). So Jesus invites his audience, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” So work at eliminating the obstacles that keep you from hearing God speak.
Preachers who are supposed to prepare sermons for people to hear also can fall into the trap of not listening to God. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, a famous pastor, said in his book "Preaching and Preachers" that a church’s decline is directly related to what he calls, “low preaching.” This happens when the preacher fails to listen to the voice of God, then the listener will also be disappointed, and naturally there will be no spiritual growth. The main cause of spiritual poverty in many churches worldwide is the unwillingness of people to listen to and obey the Word of God. So, pray for those who prepare sermons and Bible studies that they would hear from God. Pray for ourselves that we willingly want to hear from God. We need to adopt the spirit of Samuel who asked, “God, please speak, your servant is listening.”
Physically, God has given us two ears. Spiritually, having two ears enables us to listen to both God and the world. John Stott, in his book The Contemporary Christian put it this way; "As the witnesses of Christ, we stand between the word of God and the world, so we have the responsibility to listen to God and the world. We listen to the word of God so that we can discover more of the riches of Christ; we listen to the world so that we can know which riches of Christ the world needs most. Then we can know how we should bring these riches to the world.” So listen to what God has to say and then listen to the world as to how we can share the gospel in a way that others would understand Him and respond.
The prophet Elijah struggled in his listening skills. After defeating the Ahab and the prophets of Baal and Asherah, he made the mistake of listening to Jezebel’s threats, fled, and wanted to die (1 Kings 18-19). God took his time to restore Elijah’s health (rest and food) then tuned Elijah’s ears to hear God’s voice. At the mouth of the cave he was staying, a great and powerful wind came but God was not in it. Then came an earthquake and a fire but God was not in either. Finally, God spoke to Elijah in a gentle whisper. Elijah heard God speak. In a world that is filled with attention-getting wind, earthquakes, and fire, we must learn to be still and listen for God’s voice. For only when God speaks do we find peace and direction for our souls and how we can serve our brothers and sisters in a more meaningful way.
-Pastor Kelvin Chiu
Heavenly Scent
How Do You Smell to God: Odor or Aroma?
The sense of smell is a great gift from God. With it we can tell if there is a fire, when a fruit is ripe (or rotten), what mom is cooking for dinner, or whether a diaper needs changing. Did you know that God also has a great sense of smell? That how we live our lives can be described as being either an aroma (pleasing to God) or an odor (not pleasing to God)?
The first mention of God's sense of smell appears when He "smelled the pleasing aroma" of Noah's sacrifices (Genesis 8:18-22). God had flooded the world to wipe out every living creature save Noah's family and the pairs of each animal. When the earth dried up, Noah exited from the ark, built an altar to the Lord, and sacrificed some of the clean animals as burnt offerings. The text goes on to tell us that "The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma" of the sacrifices and vowed to never destroy the earth again with a flood. Like Noah, when we praise God for His mercy, we are offering up something that is a pleasing aroma to God.
In Exodus and Leviticus, Moses gives instructions on the various sacrifices ranging from intentional and unintentional sins, corporate and personal sins, mandatory and voluntary offerings, to the ordination and consecration of the priest(s) and Tabernacle. Again, the Bible tells us that the aroma of the sacrifices was pleasing to the Lord (Exodus 29:18, 25, 41; Leviticus 1:9, 13, 17, 2:2, 9). For us who live on this side of the Cross, the equivalent would be the confession of our sins as Christ forgives us and washes us clean. The aroma of repentance is a pleasing aroma to God.
In addition, the New Testament mentions three other activities Christians can do that create a pleasing aroma to God. The first is prayer. In the book of Revelation, the Apostle John records a vision of God's throne in Heaven (Revelation 5). John and the others are weeping because no one was able to open the scroll that was sealed with seven seals. Then one of the elders instructs John to stop weeping and comforts him with the news that the Lion of Judah (a.k.a. Jesus), the Lamb that was slain, is worthy to open the scroll. The text tells us that when Jesus takes the scroll, the twenty-four elders each with a harp bow down before the Lamb and that they were "holding bowls full of incense, which are the prayer of the saints. (v.8)" The saints whose Jesus purchased with his blood to be a kingdom of priests to serve God. When we pray, our prayers rise like incense as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
Our witness is the second aroma that pleases God. In 2 Corinthians 2, the Apostle Paul uses the imagery of a triumphal procession of a victorious general who enters the city parading his conquered spoils of war. He thanks God "who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. (vv.14-15)." Our Christian witness is a fragrance to Christ even though it is an odor of death to those persecuting us. The latter points to the possibility of becoming a martyr for their faith in Christ which many of the early church experienced for their witness. So when we live as witnesses or actively share the gospel, we are lifting up an aroma pleasing to God.
Finally, the last mention of an aroma is found in Paul's letter to the Ephesians: we are to imitate Christ's sacrificial love as a "fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:2). How we love each other is a pleasing aroma to God. Chances are, the recipients of our sacrificial love will also smell its fragrance, too.
So as we worship, serve, and share the Lord together, remember that these are an aroma pleasing to the Lord.
-Pastor Philip Gee
Listening Heart
Apostle James says, “Know this, my beloved sisters and brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” God created us with two ears and one mouth but often we speak before we hear or listen and that often gets us into a lot of trouble. There is much we can learn for the discipline of listening especially when it comes to the ministry and serving others.
Recently I read an article about a mom who picked up her 12-year-old daughter from school, and heard something for her daughter that changed the way she picked her up from that day forward. Her daughter told her mom; “Mom, I love it when grandpa or dad picks me up from school”. The mom asked her daughter what she liked about them picking her up and here’s what the daughter has said; “They both listen to me talk about my day and everything that happened in class. They don’t really give her much advice unless she asks for it and they aren’t distracted with phone calls or work stuff…etc”.
I learned the following things from the brief conversation between the mom and the daughter. The girl like her dad and grandpa maybe because
1. They both are good listeners.
2. They tried to understand her.
3. There were minimal distractions, and
4. They both respect the girl’s sharing and thoughts
Frankly, I had never thought of listening as an important subject by itself. But now that I am aware of it. I have been thinking back about the conversation that was wrong over the past few years and suddenly realized that many of the troubles resulted from me not listening. When I communicated with my family or brothers and sisters it was just a monologue and not a dialogue. I only expressed my idea or thought but I didn’t get theirs. It is interesting to me that I have considered so many facets of communication in the church but overlooked listening. I have concluded that it is the most important link in the church’s communications and it is obviously also the weakest one for myself.
When Solomon inherited the kingdom from his father, God asked him what he wanted. He replied “Lord my God, you have now made me king. You put me in the place of my father David. But I’m only a little child. I don’t know how to carry out my duties. I’m here among the people you have chosen. They are a great nation. They are more than anyone can count. So, give me a heart that understands. Then I can rule over your people”. Instead of asking for more power, to live for a long time, become wealthy or to have your enemies killed, Solomon asked for a listening heart and wisdom so that he could be able to take good care of God’s people.
I learned that I need God to give me a listening heart so that I know how to be sensitive to brothers and sisters’ presence so that I can build a good basic trust between each other in God’s faithfulness.
Matthew 11:15 “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Pastor Kelvin Chiu
Taking Care of God's Family
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Davis Chinese Christian Church has three goals in 2023. 1. Disciple and Mentor the Younger Generations; 2. Evangelize and Reach Out to the Nonbeliever or the Lost; and 3. Take Care of the Family of God. May the Holy Spirit move us to carry out the mission which our Lord Jesus Christ has entrusted to us.
We may feel like we have three separate goals but actually the three goals are all interconnected and can be seen as one Mission. When we take care of the family of God, the church’s members, by utilizing our individual’s spiritual gifts to reach out to the nonbelievers, supporting and encouraging the believers to continue to grow in Christ. People will see our love for the brothers and sisters in the church and know that we are the disciples of Jesus Christ. When people see our unity, joy and peace, they will desire to have our faith in Jesus Christ.
When I read John 17:20-23, I was very surprised to see how Jesus cared about His disciples and all of us who would believe in Him. Jesus knew that His departure from this earth was near and He would be crucified on the Cross soon. Jesus said, “My prayer is not for the disciples alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through the disciples’ message.” Jesus cared for His disciples and He also cares for us the believers. Jesus prayed for the disciples two thousand years ago and in that prayer, He also prayed for you and me also. Jesus cares about us so much and He wants us also to care for one another in the church.
When Jesus saw people suffering, He had compassion and love for them. “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:35-36) Jesus loved people and He had compassion for people. Jesus did not only preach the gospel, He healed every disease and sickness.
Love and compassion are the important characteristics when we care for the family of God. At DCCC we have three congregations, English, Cantonese and Mandarin and we all come from different backgrounds and speak different languages and have young and old. For example, the Mandarin congregation, we have more seniors and several people who have just retired or are preparing to retire. The seniors need a lot of care such as doctor visitations, home visits, or transportation needs. Thank God for the caring committee taking on the task to care for the seniors. Several fellowships such as Jia Mei, Gospel and Scholars Fellowships have been reaching out to the seniors by visiting them, sending dumplings, gifts and cards during the Chinese New Year. Many seniors felt so appreciative because they knew church care for them.
Sometimes we focus on the seniors or children, but we shall not forget the young families who are also facing many challenges in life. They need to work long hours to earn a living and take care of their children and aging parents. They also face challenges in marriage or health issues. Let us also remember them in our prayer and support them.
As a pastor at DCCC, I want to thank all the Fellowships’ coordinators and members who have been working so hard to take care of the brothers and sisters in the last three years during the pandemic lock down. They continued to meet through Zoom and divided the fellowships into the small groups so they could pray and support each other. In the Mandarin Adult Fellowship, the senior fellowship, also divided into several small groups with the group leaders to make sure everyone has been cared for.
DCCC is a very caring church. We reach out to those who have needs. We send meals to the brothers and sisters when they are sick or have a newborn baby. The Scholars Fellowship has a tradition of delivering meals to families when they have a newborn baby. One Sunday morning a couple stood up at the end of the Sunday Worship to introduce themselves, “We came to visit our daughter who is working in Sacramento so we came to visit DCCC. Both my wife and I accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior when we studied at UC Davis about 25 years ago. We really appreciated the brothers and sisters’ love and care while we were in Davis. We still remember when our daughter was born, the fellowship delivered meals to us for a month. We missed DCCC a lot.” After we ended the Sunday service, the husband approached me and asked me, “Pastor could you tell me where the Davis Cemetery is?” I asked him, “Why do you want to go to Davis Cemetery?” He replied, “I want to visit the brother who loved me and cared about me so much while I was in Davis.”
Love and caring are so powerful. Sometimes people forget our words but they do not forget our love and care toward them. In the church, the Holy Spirit gives and distributes different spiritual gifts to the believers. Many spiritual gifts besides teaching, preaching, and evangelism, are for the family of God such as Administration, Helping, Encouragement, Organization, Mercy, Giving, Knowledge, Wisdom, Healing. . . (Ephesians 4; 1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12; 1 Peter 4) Every believer shall use our spiritual gifts to take care of God's House, the Church. May God encourage and use us to exercise the spiritual gifts to take care of the Family of God. May God bless DCCC so we can be the church fulfilling God’s Mission for His Kingdom.
（Written by 陳逸生牧師 Pastor Mondy Chen 2/2023）
KEEP CELEBRATING AFTER THE CHRISTMAS SEASON
We have just come through a season of celebrations. Each celebration came with a reason and purpose. In November, we celebrated Veteran's Day for the sacrifices that the military made to defend our country and Thanksgiving for the pilgrims' survival of a harsh winter and their first harvest in America. In December, we celebrated the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Then in January, we celebrate the New Year and the Chinese New Year.
The God of the Bible is the God of celebrations. In the Old Testament, God gave Israel seven different feasts- each with their own meaning. For example, Passover was to commemorate God bringing Israel out of Egypt. Pentecost was a time of thanking God for the abundant harvest. The Day of Atonement was a solemn holy day to remind Israel the importance of confessing sin. These feasts were designed to keep Israel connected and in a right relationship with a holy God. They also served as analogies to the redemptive work of Christ (for example, Jesus was the unblemished Passover Lamb that was sacrificed for our sins).
In the New Testament, Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper to commemorate the sacrifice He would make to enable believers to be reconciled to a holy God. Jesus also commanded baptism (Matthew 28:19-20). The Apostle Paul later explains that baptism serves as a word picture of believers being united in Christ in death (submersion into the water) and resurrection (emersion out of the water) (Romans 6:3-4). These celebrations remind us of our salvation by grace through faith in Jesus' finished work on the Cross.
How else can we celebrate our relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ? Consider these verses:
Hebrews 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise— the fruit of lips that confess his name.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Isaiah 12:4-6 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.
Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
-Pastor Philip Gee