2022.10.15/16

From the Pastor’s Desk: Rev. Simon Lee

Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

Thanksgiving was especially meaningful this year for me and I would like to share my joy with you all.

From the Church’s perspective, we had a thanksgiving theme plus a celebration of baptisms for a total of 19 new brothers and sisters (giving us a total of 29 in 2022). I had the joy and privilege of participating in all the baptisms in all the four Chinese services, to witness the tears of joy, the sparkling eyes of hope, and the smile of faith and assurance of the different candidates. When each person was asked by the different pastors whether he or she believes in his or her heart that Jesus Christ is his or her saviour, there was always a firm and joyful affirmative response: I do. Then when asked whether he or she will follow Christ closely based on the Word of God, again each answered in a clear loud voice: I do. One sister commented to me afterwards that her “I do” was spoken with even more conviction than when she did her wedding vow. She was also overwhelmed by the flood of gifts and well wishes that she received afterwards from family and friends, in her mind more filled with excitement than her own wedding.

There were many moving moments, to mention just a few here. In the Mandarin service, a mother and daughter who came to seek the truth not too long ago, both were joyfully baptized in the service. A sister in the Saturday Cantonese service who had delayed being baptized for years was baptized as witnessed by her husband and daughter, as well as many brothers and sisters who had encouraged her throughout the years. In AYAYA, there were so many touching testimonies, for example a husband was baptized in the presence of his wife and daughter after the family was restored in their relationships. Another sister whom Pastor Francis ran into at a superstore a few years ago also received baptism. In the Sunday Cantonese service, a fully pregnant mother wanted to be baptized with her husband because they wanted their child to born into a Christian home and they want to be good Christian parents. Another lady wanted to be baptized because she had realized her former faith was faulty, and she wants to be a true Christian. I can go on and on, but you can read them in the next issue of UNITY.

At the Sunday Cantonese service, Pastor Collins preached an evangelistic sermon based on the story of the healing of the 10 lepers: Ten were healed, only one was saved. The Spirit prompted me on Sunday at the end of the baptisms to make a calling for anyone to accept Christ after witnessing the baptisms. We were totally surprised when a person in the congregation immediately raised his hand and stood up to accept Christ, to the roaring claps of the whole congregation. Yes, the Spirit of the Lord was present and at work! Thanks be to God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit!

For me personally, after experiencing the challenges of COVID and of the ministries in the last year, this service was a fitting conclusion to my ministries at RCAC, witnessing totally about 200 people baptized in the last decade, becoming children of God and part of the family of God. This is a testimony to the faithfulness of the God whom we serve and to His work in our midst. To God be the glory!

Your servant in Christ
Pastor Simon

2022.10.15/16

列宣家親愛的弟兄姊妹：

今年的感恩節對我來說特別有意義，很想在此和大家分享我的喜樂。

從教會的角度來看，各堂崇拜除了以感恩為主題，我們並為總共19 位新兄弟姊妹（2022 年共有29 位肢體受洗）接受洗禮而慶祝。我有幸參加了所有四堂中文崇拜的洗禮，見證了不同接受洗禮肢體的喜悅淚水，滿有盼望的閃爍眼神，以及從堅定相信和滿有確據所流露的笑容。當不同的牧者問及每個領洗者是否相信耶穌基督為他/她的救主時，總是聽到，每個堅定而喜樂的肯定回答：我相信。接著當被問及他/她是否會按照神的話語緊緊跟隨基督時，每個人再次以清晰響亮的聲音回答：我願意。一位姊妹事後對我說，她說“我願意”比她在婚禮中發出的誓言更加堅定。事後，她也被家人和朋友送來如潮水般的禮物和祝福所淹沒，心中感到比自己的婚禮更興奮激動。

各堂崇拜中有不少感人的時刻，這裡僅列舉幾例和大家分享。在國語崇拜中，一位母親偕同不久前到來尋求真理的女兒，雙雙在聚會中欣然接受了洗禮。一位於星期六粵語崇拜，多年來遲遲未受洗的姊妹，在她的丈夫和女兒以及許多鼓勵她的弟兄姊妹的見證下受洗。

在AYAYA青年崇拜，也有很多感人的見證，比如有丈夫於家庭關係復和後，他在妻子和女兒面前接受了洗禮。陳榮基傳道於數年前在一家超市遇到的另一位姊妹也接受了洗禮。在主日粵語崇拜中，一位懷孕的母親想和她的丈夫一起受洗，因為他們希望孩子能出生於一個基督化家庭，他們渴望成為良好的基督徒父母。另一位女士願望接受洗禮，因為她意識到自已以前的信仰流於虛假的，並且她渴望成為一個真正的基督徒。我可以繼續引述其他的例証，但您可以在下一期『匯』期刊中閱讀到他們的見證。
在主日粵語崇拜中，龔敏光牧師根據十個痳風病人得醫治傳講福音信息：十個得了醫治的，只有一個得救。主日粵語崇拜中，在洗禮結束時，聖靈催促我發出呼召，邀請在見證洗禮後若有願意接受基督救恩的舉手表示。會眾當中的一人立即舉手回應並站起來接受表示相信接受基督時，我們感到非常驚喜，全會眾都發出熱烈的掌聲。是的，主的靈在會場中運行工作！感謝聖父、聖子和聖靈！
就我個人而言，在去年經歷了疫情大流行和事奉的挑戰後，這崇拜對於我在列宣的事奉來說是一個適切的總結，見證了在過去十年中總共有大約 200 人受洗，成為神的兒女和成為神家中的一分子。這實在是見証著我們所侍奉的神是何等的信實，以及衪的而且確是在我們中間運行工作。願榮耀全然歸給神！

主僕,
李耀全牧師

2022.10.01/02

From the Pastor’s Desk:Rev.Simon Lee

Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? ² My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. (Ps 121:1,2) Recently I was able to see again the majestic Rockies and was reminded how great God is, and I realized that God is my help, even as I was in my own struggles. I was reminded of one of my favourite songs in Winter Conference:

Who made the mountains? Who made the trees? Who made the rivers flow to the sea?
And who sends the rain when the earth is dry? Somebody bigger than you and I.

When I am weary, filled with despair. Who gives me courage to go on from there?
And who gives me faith that will never die?  Somebody bigger than you and I.

By looking at the hills, the troubled psalmist found his source of help that he was looking for. It was found in the Creator of heaven and earth. For all of us, after almost three years of Covid which exacerbate whatever troubles we are experiencing, we are looking for help from everywhere. The psalmist saw in and beyond the beautiful hills, his help comes from the Creator who made the hills, the mountains and all the wonderful things in nature. Often at the top of the hills are built the places of worship. So looking at the hills is like seeking the presence of God.

If in Christ as the Saviour, I see love, the love of God, and in Christ as the Sanctifier and healer, I see faith, God’s faithfulness, then in Christ as the Coming King, I see hope, ultimate hope.

Often, we become Christians because we see and experience God’s love. Then as we strive to be good Christians, we learn that it is Christ who enables us to grow and we can turn to Him when we are weak, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But still after trying to learn to follow Christ the Saviour, the Sanctifier and Healer, we are in situations where we seem to be stuck in our different difficulties, or to be stricken with sickness that are incurable, or become the victims of irreparable broken relationships… When we come to the end of the road, remember Christ is the Coming King, and therein lies our eternal and ultimate hope. Therefore, I would like to rephrase the above verses for this article as:

I lift up my eyes to heaven. From where does my HOPE come? My HOPE comes from the LORD, Christ the Coming King.

We are reminded of the words of the two messengers (angels) of God to the disciples at the ascension of Jesus Christ:  … as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. ¹⁰ And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, ¹¹ and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1: 9-11) What does Christ coming in the same way means? From the context it means that Christ ascended in a cloud, and will return in like manner, physically, in view of the people (Rev. 1:7) and to the Mount of Olives (Zech 14:4).

But these words were also spoken after Christ Jesus have told the disciples not to focus on “When” will be the “times or seasons” which has been fixed by the authority of God the Father.  Instead, the disciples were to focus on the Great Commission: …But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” At that time, the disciples were more concerned with “justice”, the restoration of the earthly kingdom of Israel, but Christ was concerned only for the gospel and the expansion of the Kingdom of God. Indeed, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to be “witnesses” of Christ to the whole world. It is when this Great Commission is accomplished that Christ will return. As the hymn goes,

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full, in his wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of his glory and grace.

From where does my hope come? It comes from focusing on Christ the Coming King, and His mission for us.

Your servant in Christ,
Rev. Simon Lee

2022.10.01/02

親愛列宣的弟兄姊妹，

“我要向群山舉目，我的幫助從哪裡來呢？ 我的幫助是從造天地的耶和華而來。”（詩121:1,2）

最近，我有機會遙望雄偉聳立的洛磯山脈，我再次被提醒神是多麼的偉大，並且我意識到即使我落在自己的掙扎中，神是我的幫助。我想起了曾在冬令會中我所最喜歡唱的一首歌Who made the mountains?：

誰造青山高，樹木插霄？誰造碧水長，奔向汪洋？
誰降甘霖滋潤乾涸地？有一位比你我更偉大。

當我困倦，灰心沮喪，誰能激勵我續奔前程？
誰能給我永不衰退之信心？有一位比你我更偉大。

透過觀察群山，這位陷入困境的詩人找到了他所尋求的幫助來源。乃是在於那創天造地者的神。對於我們所有人來說，經過將近三年的新冠疫情加劇了我們所遇到的任何麻煩，我們正在探求各方面的幫助。詩人遠望美麗山巒映入眼簾，他更超越地看到了來自創造山巒、阡陌和自然界所有奇妙事物那位造物主的幫助。敬拜之所一般是建造在山峰之上。因此，向高山仰望就像尋求神的同在。

基督成為我們的救主，我在其中看到了愛，神的大愛；基督成為我們的為成聖者和醫治者，在其中我看到了信，神的信實；基督是我們再來之王，在其中我看到了望，永恆終極的盼望。

許多時候，我們成為基督徒是因為我們看到並經歷了神的愛。其後，當我們努力成為好基督徒時，我們會瞭解到因著靠賴基督我們得以成長，當我們在身體、情感和靈性上感到軟弱時，我們可以轉向祂。但在努力學習跟隨救主基督、我們的成聖者和醫治者的過程中，我們似乎會陷入不同的困境，或被無法治癒的疾病所困擾，或會成為無法挽回的破裂關係的受害者…當我們走到人生路的盡頭時，請記住基督是即將來臨的君王，其中蘊含著我們永恆和終極的盼望。我意欲將詩詞改寫為下列詩句：

我要向天舉目。我的盼望從何而來？我的盼望是從主，基督–將要再臨的君王而來。

我們可會想到在耶穌基督升天時，神的兩位使者(天使)對門徒所說的話：…他們還在看的時候，他被接上升，有一朵雲把他接去，就看不見他了。當他往上升，他們定睛望天的時候，忽然有兩個人，身穿白衣，站在他們旁邊，說：“加利利人哪，為甚麼站著望天呢？這位被接升天離開你們的耶穌，你們看見他怎樣往天上去，他也要怎樣回來。” (徒1: 9-11)
基督將以同樣的方式降臨是什麼意思？從上文下理來看，意即：基督在雲彩中升天，並將以同樣的方式返回，在眾目睽睽之下降臨（啟1:7）於橄欖山上（亞 14:4）。

但這些話也是在耶穌基督告訴門徒不要專注於祂將會在“何時”再臨，因“時間或時期”是出於父神的權柄所確定的，之後說的。相反，門徒們必須專注於大使命：“…可是聖靈降臨在你們身上，你們就必領受能力，並且要在耶路撒冷、猶太全地、撒瑪利亞，直到地極，作我的見證人。”

那時，門徒更關心的是“公義”，即地上以色列國度的復興，而基督只關心福音和神國度的擴展。的確，我們被聖靈賦予了在全世界做基督的“見證人”的能力。當這個大使命完成時，基督就會回來。

我的盼望從何而來？我的盼望來自於專注於基督再來之君王，並祂所託付我們的大使命之上。

主僕,
李耀全牧師