In early morning I went running in my new neighborhood along a Yangzte river delta stream in our City in Wuxi, China. I noticed that not many people were out, but other runners were out. 80% were men running alone like me and 10% were couples out walking together and 10% were women running alone. Here I see again that by creation design women and men are so different. In the evenings in China women gather to do line dancing …
Baptism is a common word in the Christian world. It comes from the New Testament into our language. Let’s look more completely at what is Baptism according to the Bible. Jesus’ public ministry begins with his baptism. The Gospel of Mark begins with Jesus’ baptism and ends with the empty tomb. Somehow baptism has a big place. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: …
I have started a mittful of Bible studies in the US and China and a handful of house churches and Bible studies in China. With the shrinking church in the US, it is time for a new model. Is it time to start a house church? In the book of Acts, there were no seminary led churches in each city. House churches were a standard model. The Apostle John refers to us as a kingdom of priests, and the Apostle …
What is fair? Fairness or one love one another? My family is starting to send kids to college in quick succession. As such, we are liquidating the rental house we own to help pay for it. I am thrilled by how it has gained in value even while we sometimes could rent it out these 8 years. But here is the hitch. I like things to be stable and not change. Um, my 2 younger children and wife like change …
My teenage kids remarked to me that they got scarred by Genesis as children. Genesis is not G Rated and neither is the rest of the Bible. Spreading the Good News in China, I also had this experience of people getting hurt and driven away by Genesis. Lot and his daughters is the biggest problem. However, those of us who have looked closely at the text know the Bible has even more non G issues. It is not just that …
How about a Chinese Church faith report? I should have blogged on this insightful article last year, but find myself only now starting to write. The question is: Should we see the Chinese church as persecuted and needy or perfectly provided for? Or just how should we see them? This article brought a hearty Amen from my heart. See the quote below. Though this narrative (China as a persecuted needy church) may have been accurate in the 1980s as China …
The Bible says we are citizens of the Kingdom of God. What is Kingdom of God culture? First, what is American culture? Americans love freedom, and personal independence even personal autonomy. Individualism is a high value. We like change and trying new things andhave the confidence to invent and support totally new things. Americans love equality, and that is why we say America is a land of opportunity for migrants. You are what you do. Any poor migrant can come …
I have read more than once the phrase that we all need a little more grace. The phrase is so true. People may look put together, but people mostly carry a lot of hurt that they do not always realize. Find the 9 Bible verses on Grace from picture here. Jesus said, In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. So everyone has had and will have trouble. We need to see everyone …
Shortly before I left the US for China, a young adult in a church I was attending asked who wanted to meet before church to confess sins to each other. Notably James 5:16 says 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. I immediately joined. It was so good. Life giving. 6 people gathering weekly to confess our sins to each other. …
I love this verse that reminds me why meeting together should have deeper meaning. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Christians in China helped me realize what this verse said. They would parrot ‘don’t give up meeting together’ and in Chinese the connotation made it seem …
