Autumn attended her first Christian church service today. Frankly she wasn't very excited about it, but our goal in taking her was to be able to remind her that there are Christians in China as well as America. Many of the Chinese people we have spoken to have told us that they feel that Christianity is just a Western religion and is not easily applied to the Eastern life. This has grieved my heart as I've heard it over and over again, but today I was so encouraged. I saw a very much alive, Bible-believing, baptizing, gospel-preaching Church!
We attended Shamian Christ Church and, oh, how solid the believers are here. We were immediately greeted by those around us who were so loving. And what a delight it was to worship next to them as both English and Mandarin filled the church with praise to our great God. Then, Pastor Xie delivered one of the most powerful messages I have heard. He did not leave the scriptures but just directly applied them to our lives simply and boldly. I just have to share a challenge he left us with if you don't mind. But first a photo of him and his translator.
His message from Exodus 34 compared Moses' second visit to the mountain for the commandments of God to his first. Pastor Xie noted that Aaron was not invited the second time because of his involvement with the building of the golden calf. This sin caused him to lose fellowship with the Lord just as our own sin does.
Then, he spoke of Moses' 40-day fast. This is where I became very excited and began writing down verbatim what he said because it was so anointed. He began to challenge his congregation (and me) that we cannot be a light in a dark world if we don't spend extended time alone with the Lord as Moses did. He noted how the brilliance of God was upon Moses countenance when he came off of the mountain. He said this is how brilliant a Christian should be to a lost world. He asked us to consider fasting for 40 days this year. He said that fasting is the way the Lord has instructed for us to "spend time with God without my will being honored, because my will in being denied while I petition the Lord." He said,
"I know brothers and sisters who fast for 40 days taking only water. But if it is not directed by the Lord it will not be accomplished. Sometimes I fast for just one meal! (Audience laughter) Don't laugh! It is very hard for me. No matter how long or how short, it is the heart that matters. You are the light of the world. If we spend forty days with Jesus like Moses did, we will surely have the light on us like Moses did. You might say it is too much and you cannot practically do it, but I say that you must and you can do it incrementally. If you spend 40 days over the course of one year it is only three days only per month with Jesus...or 2 1/2 hours per day. You need to think how you can give the Lord 40 days of your year. If you want to shine in front of other people, the only way is to spend time with our Lord."
I sat next to a woman named "Joy." Her English name was given to her by the woman who led her to Christ four years ago. That woman was an English-as-a-second-language teacher who had came to China for a short time to teach and Joy was her pupil. Joy's faith was very alive and vibrant. I loved just being near her. After the service she spoke to Autumn and loved on her a little. I was happy for this memory to store in Autumn's heart concerning the Chinese Christian church.
After church, Autumn wanted a TV break very badly, so Lexi and I took off to find a store that my friend Donna VanLiere recommended. It is a little gift shop owned by Chinese Christians who give some of the proceeds to benefit orphans in China. We were greeted by a beautiful woman boldly wearing the cross of Christ. It was the nicest store within the two blocks of our hotel and I prayed the Lord would bless it. We bought a nice silk photo album to store our memories when we return home.
Yes, the Chinese church is alive and well. You might read my pastor's Centre Daily Times blog which he posted while we were here in China. It speaks of the Chinese effort to send missionaries "Back to Jerusalem." http://community.centredaily.com/?q=node/2444
