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