2022.02.19/20

 From the Pastor’s Desk: Rev. Simon Lee

 Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

The first half of this article: Do not lose heart (1): Remember we are doing the Spirit’s ministry (4:1-6) was based on the key verse “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.” (4:1) Those who serve God is given this honour by the Spirit Himself, and Christ Jesus our Lord will give us strength to persevere. We therefore do not need to give up when the going gets tough. All we need to make sure is that we have a servant’s heart.

In this half of the article: Do not lose heart (2): Remember our inner person is being renewed day by day (4:7-18), the key verse is “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” (2 Cor. 4:16) Here we are dealing with physical pains and trials in our lives. We immediately think of the devastation we have experienced over the last two years in the Covid pandemic, especially the impact of the latest Omicron variant, sparing no one in its rapid spread here and around the world, causing illness and disruption in our daily lives.

But Paul talks about our human bodies are like “jars of clay” and our human experience as “afflictions” (ESV) or “trouble” (NET). Furthermore, for Paul, physical suffering is always contrasted against spiritual realities. For Paul, in all his trials, he was “always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” (4:10) Our victory is in Christ trough His resurrection. Paul says, he could speak boldly “knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. (4:14) Often we reference our “suffering” to the “normal” life that we live, and question why we are robbed of the life that we think should be a “given” that we feel we deserve, treating it as a right. This is also why when we are faced with suffering the first question we ask is “why” or “why me”?  Haven’t I followed Christ faithfully, each of us will ask? Paul recognizes that our body is frail by its very nature, like “jars of clay.” He also sees our suffering as a way that we can demonstrate Christ’s glory. This is such a contrast to how humans look at suffering.

Paul then declares that we do not lose heart when “our outer self” (physical body) is wasting away, “our inner self” (inner person) is being renewed day by day. (4:16) To Paul, what is important, is not what and how he suffers in the outer self, because our body is expected to be frail. He is more concern with how his inner person is being renewed in Christ. Again, Paul contrast “our outer self” and “our inner self.” When we suffer, we focus on “our outer self” and how to cope or get well, naturally. But for Paul, his focus is always that Christ brings about growth and healing in the “inner person.” Perhaps this is one of the main reasons why he was able to overcome so many of his adversities and weather so many storms in his life. All that matters to Paul was the renewal of the “inner person.”

Because of this knowledge of the eternal versus the temporal, Paul was able to face his suffering head-on. He knows that the “light momentary affliction (suffering) is preparing us for (producing for us) “an eternal weight of glory.” Therefore, we are to “not look at the things that are seen,” they are “transient,” but focus on “the things that are unseen,” they are “eternal.” So, we can all be assured that what we are experiencing is only “light” and “momentary.” Covid has ravaged us for over two years, but like many such epidemic or pandemic in past human history, eventually it will subside because it is temporal and transient. We often focus on the “temporal” and neglect the “eternal.” That is why we are so devastated when we suffer in the world that is transient, because we may have treated the transient as eternal.

Furthermore, if we realize that this experience of suffering is permitted by God in “preparing us” for the weight of glory in eternity, we then can view all our suffering as the discipline and trials that will help us live our lives in the resurrection power of Christ.  We need to treat it as the valuable lesson of growing in maturity in Christ and live by faith and not by sight. Paul says: “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God…, a house…eternal in the heavens.” (5:1) In other words, even if our bodies succumb to Covid or any other diseases like cancer, we will have a home in eternity, mortality replaced by immortality.

Paul continues to say, “He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.” (5:5) In the process of being tried in the experience of our physical suffering, we are also given the Holy Spirit who is our guarantor.  The Spirit who is the paraclete or the counselor comes along side us to carry us through our trials and tribulations, it is all the work of God. We have the assurance that we will overcome because we have the Holy Spirit that is given to us, and He dwells within us. What a comforting thought to us when we are enduring the pains of suffering.

As we face Covid or any other trials in life, turn our eyes upon Jesus, just like the hymn by Helen H. Lemmel, says:

O soul are you weary and troubled
No light in the darkness you see
There’s light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and free.

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.

Your servant in Christ,
Rev. Simon Lee

2022.02.19/20

作者:李耀全牧師

列宣家親愛的弟兄姊妹：

本文的前半部分(二月5/6日)：不要灰心氣餒（1）：勿忘我們是在承擔聖靈的職事(林後4:1-6) 是基於經文的要義： “所以，我們既然蒙了憐憫，得著這職分，就不沮喪。” (4:1) 聖靈賜予凡事奉神的人這榮耀，我們的主基督耶穌亦賜予我們堅忍不後退的能力。因此，我們毋須在遇到困難時放棄。我們只需要確保存著僕人的心而事奉。

這是全文的下半部分： 不要灰心氣餒（2）：勿忘我們裡面的人在天天更新（林後4:7-18），經文的重點是 “所以，我們並不沮喪，我們外面的人雖然漸漸朽壞，但裡面的人卻日日更新。” （4:16）我們正在面對著在生活中身體的痛苦和考驗。我們馬上想到過去兩年在 Covid 大流行中所經歷的破壞，尤其是近期Omicron 的新變種病毒，在世界各地迅速傳播造成疾病和破壞對我們的日常生活的影響。

但保羅提及我們的身體就像陶土做成的“瓦器”，我們在肉身上所經歷的是“苦難/災禍”(ESV譯本)或“窘境”/難處(NET譯本)。此外，對保羅來說，身體上的痛苦總是與屬靈的實況形成對比。對保羅來說，在他一切的試煉中，他“為耶穌的緣故常常被人置於死地，好讓耶穌的生也在我們必死的身上顯明出來。” （4:10）我們的得勝在於基督的復活。保羅說，他可以大膽地說： “知道那使主耶穌復活的，也必定使我們與耶穌一同復活，並且把我們和你們呈獻在他的面前。” （4:14）我們常常將我們的 “苦難”與我們過“正常”的生活相提並論，並質疑為什麼我們被剝奪了我們認為應該是“應份給予”的生活，我們認為這是我們應得的，將之視為這才是對的。這也是為什麼當我們在面對苦難時，我們首先問的問題是“為什麼”或“為什麼是我”？每個信徒可能都會問:我不是忠心地跟隨基督嗎？保羅認識到我們的身體本質上是脆弱的，就像“瓦器”。他還認為我們所受的苦難是我們展示基督榮耀的一種方式。這與一般人看待苦難的方式形成鮮明對比。

保羅接著宣告:當“外在的我”(身體)逐漸衰殘，我們“裡面的人”(內心) 卻日日更新，我們不會灰心氣餒(4:16) 。 對保羅來說，重要的不是他外在的自己受了什麼苦以及怎樣受苦，因為我們的身體本來就很脆弱衰退的。他更關切自己的內在人(屬靈品質)如何能在基督裡得到更新。保羅再次對比了“我們的外在自我”和“我們的內在自我”。當我們受苦時，我們會專注於“我們的外在自我”以及怎麼能自然地應對或康復。但對保羅來說，他的重點始終是在於讓基督帶來“內裡的人”的成長和醫治。也許這就是他能夠克服在生命中諸多的逆境和經歷如此多的人生風暴的主要原因之一。對保羅而言，重要的是“內裡的人”的更新。

因著這對於永恆與短暫的認知，保羅能夠迎向苦難。他知道“短暫輕微的患難(苦難)正是為著我們迎接永恆作準備（為我們而設/成就）“極大無比、永遠的榮耀”。因此，我們要注目於 “所看不見的”(“永恆的”)，而非專注於 “所見之物”(“短暫的”)。所以，我們都可以放心，我們所經歷的只是“光”和“瞬間”。新冠病毒已經肆虐我們兩年多，但就像過去人類歷史上的許多此類流行病或大流行病一樣，它最終會消退，因為它是暫時的和短暫的。我們經常關注“暫時的”而忽視“永恆的”。這就是為什麼當我們在短暫的世界中受苦時如此沮喪，因為我們可能將短暫的視為永恆。

此外，我們如果能認識到這些受苦的經歷是神所允許的，為的是“準備我們”能以承載在永恆裡神那極重無比豐盛榮耀的重載，我們便可以靠著基督復活的大能，將所有的苦難視為在生活中的管教和試煉中的幫助。我們需要把它當作在基督裡成熟的寶貴教訓，憑信心而不是憑眼見而生活。保羅說：“因為我們知道，如果我們地上的帳幕被毀壞，我們就有來自上帝的建築……，一座房屋……永遠在天上。” (5:1) 換句話說，即使我們的身體死於新冠病毒或癌症等任何其他疾病，我們也會在永恆中擁有一個家，死亡被不朽所取代。

保羅繼續說，“為這事預備我們的就是神，他賜給我們聖靈作保證。” （5:5）在經歷肉體痛苦的考驗過程中，我們也得到了聖靈，他是我們的保證。聖靈是我們的保護者或同行者，陪伴我們度過考驗和磨難，這都是上帝的工作。我們確信我們會得勝，因為我們有賜給我們的聖靈，而且祂住在我們裡面。當我們忍受痛苦時，這對我們來說是多麼令人欣慰的體會。

當我們面對 Covid 或生活中的任何其他考驗時，請將我們的目光轉向耶穌，就如 Helen H. Lemmel 的詩歌《當轉眼仰望耶穌》所言：

你心靈是否煩惱困苦？不見亮光，黑暗滿佈？
仰望主耶穌就得光明，你生命更活潑豐盛。
當轉眼仰望耶穌，定睛在他奇妙慈容，

在救主榮耀恩典大光中，世俗事必要顯為虛空！

主僕,
李耀全牧師

2022.02.05/06
From the Pastor’s Desk:Rev. Simon Lee

 Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

The latest Omicron variant of COVID has taken a toll on many of us. First, it is really hitting home. My own family (of 17) has been impacted by COVID in the past months in many ways, including one being tested positive for COVID and must be quarantined. But the more devastating thing was that some members were developing COVID-like (flu-like?) symptoms but could not even be tested, told to stay home, and assumed they had COVID, therefore living in the fear of spreading the virus to our contacts, including other family members. I personally have had to cancel some important appointments because of “possible contact with people with COVID symptoms.”

Ministry-wise, in our Church with 5 different congregations, I and all our staff all struggle to find the best way for everybody to “keep safe.” My prayer has been, “Lord, I need desperately the wisdom of Solomon! I need the Spirit to give me discernment as to how I can persevere and how we can all persevere when we live in uncertainty and the threat of the virus, now for over 2 long years.”

The Spirit reminded me again of how Paul persevered, though under different circumstances, and I like to share what I have just re-discovered in 2 Corinthians 4. I am applying this first to all in ministry and then all in physical trials (next article). Paul uses the phrase “do not lose heart” twice in 2 Corinthians 4, once in 4:1 and again in 4:16. Let us look at each occurrence in context.

Do not be discouraged (1): Remember we are doing the Spirit’s ministry (4:1-6)

“Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.” (4:1)

What an honour it is to serve God in such a glorious ministry (as described in Ch. 3). Therefore, we do not lose heart or quit easily. This ministry is in fact a gift that we receive from God Himself, in His mercy, even though we are so unworthy.  First Paul declared he was not a quitter. In applying this to our present challenge, all of us, including all pastors and lay-leaders, must remember the privilege of being called the children of God, Christ’s ambassadors and His “bondservants.” We are therefore to be a witness to the world that is under the cloud of COVID, that amidst the challenges we are also facing, we are not discouraged, because of God’s mercy to us.

Paul in exhorting Timothy says these words: “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, ¹³ though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, ¹⁴ and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus…” (I Tim. 1:12-17) Paul’s encouragement here has guided me through many trials in over 40 years of ministry and I am being reminded of this truth even right now. To be honest, there were many times I have become discouraged and almost at the point of wanting to quit, because I said to myself, this is not what I bargained for when I committed myself to living for and serving Christ. Then I hear Paul encouraging me by saying, “But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost (chief of all sinners), Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. (I Tim 1:16) I am running out of patience, may His patience come through me!

Our ministry is “the Spirit’s ministry” seems so obvious and those of us who are committed to serving God all think almost automatically that we are doing just that – “the Spirit’s ministry.” I need constantly to remind myself so that I am not deceiving myself while I am really doing MY ministry instead. Paul elaborates by pointing to how we can all fall into the same trap by: “shameful hidden deeds,” ‘behaving with deceptiveness,” or “distorting (knowingly or unknowingly) the word of God.” (4:2a) The source of discouragement for Paul was the false prophets in the Corinthian church. Paul was facing very sharp accusations for his apostleship by being accused of using the gospel deceitfully to serve himself. Then Paul declared he was not a deceiver. Paul both strongly denied the accusations against him and stated he boldly proclaims only the truth of God.

While Paul was addressing a different audience and dealing with different challenges than ours today, nevertheless all these failures refer to doing ministry in MY ways, instead of the Spirit’s way.  The difficulty I see in applying this to myself is distinguishing the Spirit’s way and MY ways, it is indeed easier said than done. I find in myself and in pastors whom I have helped over the years, that the longer we are in ministry and the more set we are in our ways, we often lack the humility to recognize that we may and can be wrong. Paul reminds us of the way out of that is by focusing on God’s truth (not our truth): “by open proclamation of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience before God.” (4:2b)

The litmus test of whether our ministry is God-centred or self-centred is found in Paul’s statement of his ministry. Paul further restated that by these words: “For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.” (4:5) Finally Paul declared that he was not a self-promoter. What strikes me about this statement is two-fold: 1. Proclaiming Christ as Lord; 2. Serving the Christians in the Church of Christ as “slaves for Jesus’ sake.”

The question I must ask myself is whether I am truly proclaiming Christ and his truth and whether I am truly submitted to Him as Lord. It has been said, “If Christ is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all.” I often ask myself the question in all my decisions and actions, am I truly submissive to God. In so many instances in my life, I have found that challenging. To be honest, I am still learning this true lesson of humility and surrender to God. I am amazed to rediscover that found here is one secret of not being discouraged, that is, to use the cliché “Let go and let God.” We all feel the need to be in control, but if Christ is really Lord, HE is in control. Again, I find that to be hard, to give up “the locus of control,” especially when we so desperately need certainty amidst the uncertainty that we are in.

Paul is also declaring that because Christ is His Lord, therefore he was slaves (to Christ’s Church) for Jesus’ sake.” True submission to the Lordship of Christ is demonstrated in being a true servant who serves at the will of the master, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and therefore the people of God. We yield to God’s way that is shown to us and not insist on our way. We all know this to be true, but what does it mean when there are differences of views among brothers and sisters. It is hard, and we all need to come humbly before God and ask for His guidance. Ultimately, it reflects whether we are truly yielding to the Lordship of Christ, as in this hymn:

Make me a servant
Humble and meek
Lord let me lift up
Those who are weak
And may the prayer
Of my heart always be
Make me a servant
Make me a servant
Make me a servant today.

Your servant in Christ
Pastor Simon Lee

2022.02.05/06
作者: 李耀全牧師

列宣家親愛的弟兄弟姊妹：

冠狀病毒疫情的Omicron 新變種病毒實在是對我們許多人造成了極嚴重的影響。首先，其影響力真的“很埋身”。在過去的幾個月裡，我自己的一家，在很多方面也受到了疫情的影響。在教會事工方面，我和教牧團隊也在致力於探討最佳方式，以能夠確保五個不同會眾的每個人都可“保持安全”進行實體敬拜。

聖靈提醒引領我去再次思想，保羅如何能夠在各種不同的情況下，堅持不懈。我很想在此分享我剛剛從哥林多後書4 章中重新被啟迪的亮光。我先將這領會應用於所有承擔事奉和面對實體考驗的人之上，然後應用在身體軟弱的人上。保羅在林後4 章中兩次使用“不要灰心”這個用辭(句語)，其中一次是在4:1，另一次是在4:16。讓我們從經文的上下文去細察其中的含義。

今期先分享4:1。“所以，我們既然蒙了憐憫，得著這職分，就不沮喪。”(4:1)
正如在第3 章所描述，能夠在如此榮耀的職份上事奉神，實在是何等的榮幸，何等的蒙恩。因此，我們不要灰心或輕易放棄。實際上即使我們是如此的不配，我們仍然能在神的憐憫中，領受從衪而來，可以事奉衪的恩賜/恩典。我們要在冠狀病毒疫情的陰霾下，在面對的挑戰中不氣餒，我們要向世界作神的見證。

保羅在這裡的勸勉成為我在40 多年以來經歷了許多考驗的事奉中的指引。即使到現在，這真理也在提醒著我。老實說，我曾多次灰心氣餒，幾乎想要放棄，因為我對自己說，這不是我委身於服侍基督為主而活時所預計到的。然後我聽到保羅鼓勵我說：“我竟然蒙了憐憫，好讓基督耶穌在我這個罪魁身上，顯明他完全的忍耐，給後來信他得永生的人作榜樣。(提前 1:16)我已自感堅持能力耗盡了，願祂的堅持力量臨到我！

我們的事工是以神為中心還是以自我為中心可作為試金石，明顯可見於保羅對他屬靈職事的陳述中。保羅在以下進一步重申了此重點：“我們並不是傳揚自己，而是傳揚耶穌基督是主，並且為了耶穌的緣故成了你們的僕人。”(4:5)保羅宣稱他不是一個自我吹捧的人。這句話讓我札心的有兩方面：1.宣揚基督為主；2.以“為耶穌的緣故作奴僕”服侍教會的信徒。我必須先問的是:我是否真的在宣揚基督和祂的真理、我是否真的全然順服祂為主？戴德生曾說：“若基督不是所有事情的主，祂就根本不是主。”老實說，我仍在學習謙卑和順服神的真正功課。我驚訝地再次發現，原來不致氣餒的一個秘訣就是引用這老常談的話:“放手，交給神”(Let go, and let God)。

我願作僕人，柔和謙卑，主，我願扶助孤單軟弱。
我心靈時刻不住的禱告：我願作僕人，我願作僕人，
我今天願作僕人。《世紀頌讚 #397我願作僕人》 [全文請參看網上版]

主僕,
李耀全牧師

2022.01.22/23
From the Pastor’s Desk:Rev. Simon Lee

Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

This year’s theme is “Christ (the Messiah) the King” and this quarter we are focusing on Christ is our saviour. But what is His message and how is He our saviour?

At the beginning of His ministry in Galilee after His temptation, Jesus was back in Nazareth teaching in the synagogue. The passage He was given to preach on was a messianic passage, Isaiah 61:1-2. Luke’s gospel reads, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, ¹⁹to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)   Christ went on and declared “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” and alluded to Himself, thus claiming He was the Messiah, to the shock of His listeners. (Luke 4:21)   He was the one who was “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

The reference here is to the “Year of Jubilee” described in Lev 25:7. For the Jewish people, every seventh year was a “sabbatical year” for the nation, when the land was allowed to rest and be replenished.  Then every fiftieth year (after seven sabbaticals), a year was set apart as the “Year of Jubilee” in helping to balance the economic system: for example, slaves were set free, property was reverted back to the original owners, and all debts were canceled… and the people celebrated. In effect, Jesus’ words plainly stated that the offer of the Jubilee year of the Lord (the gospel of the kingdom) was being offered to them the listeners through Him. (21) Jesus applied all of this to His own ministry, not in socio-political-economic terms, but in a physical and spiritual sense. He was bringing salvation to sinners, healing to the broken-hearted and marginal people, healing for the sick, and deliverance for those bound by demons. Yes, this is the good news from Christ our Saviour.

This week in our staff devotion, one of our pastors brought our attention to the original Isaiah passage (Is 61:1-7). What Jesus preached as recorded in the Lukan passage was the first two verse of Isaiah 61, focusing on His ministry in the First Advent, and not the judgement of God, in the Second Advent, that is found in the rest of the verses. What strikes me is the reference of the people celebrating their freedom in the Year of Jubilee as “the priests of the Lord” and “ministers of our Lord.” (Is 61:6a). There will also be “double blessings” (like the firstborn has double blessing) and with “everlasting joy” instead of “double shame” (Is 61:7).

As Christians (“little Christ), the followers of Christ (the Messiah), as we have put our faith in Christ our Saviour, we are therefore living in a spiritual “Year of Jubilee” (Wiersbe).  We are to proclaim the good news like Christ did in His first advent. That means, hope for the poor, freedom to the enslaved, healing for the sick, and liberty for the oppressed, both physically and spiritually. We proclaim Christ as our saviour, sanctifier, healer and coming King. As we believe in the priesthood of all believers, let us all remember the honour we have to be the “ministers of our Lord” and let’s bring double blessings and joy to those around us, those in the fear and anxiety of the Covid pandemic, especially those who live under the cloud of the fast-spreading Omicron virus. Yes, let’s be proclaimers of the good news.

Your servant in Christ,
Rev. Simon Lee