Special Sunday & HOT-Adventure I

Apr 21, 2024

Praise the Lord for making the way !

Today, we gathered for a special Sunday Service on the fascinating topic of “Finding God in Ancient China”. Pastor Gavin, accompanied by brother Jun as interpreter, delivered a sermon on Romans 1:18-21 during the Refreshing Moment, emphasizing God’s supreme authority and divine nature are revealed through His creations, as recorded in both the Old Testament Bible and the Chinese classics.

Sister Stephanie led the congregation to dwell in a spirit-filled praise and worship, followed by communion. Then sister Joey shared a heart-moving and powerful testimony of God’s miraculous healing and protection upon her husband and peace upon her family.

Pastor Gavin, with sister Ivy interpreting, continued the sermon by quoting Psalm 19:1-2, highlighting the alignment between the creations described in Genesis and the descriptions in the Chinese classics. We explored China’s timeline of recorded dynasties, spanning over 4 thousand years, during which Chinese emperors worshipped the Lord on High known as “Shang Di” (上帝) or “Tian”  (天), comparable to the Hebrews’ worship of Jehovah God.

Sister Janelle, with sister Stephanie interpreting, explained how biblical ideologies are embedded in Chinese characters. The presentation illustrated the structure and evolution of selected characters such as Heavens, The Lord on High, Blessing, Sin, Covet, Naked, Murder, Sacrifice, Blood, Covenant, Righteousness, and Boat. This illustration revealed that the ancestors of ancient Chinese people shared the same collective memory as the people before scattering from the Tower of Babel in Genesis.

After lunch, we gathered eagerly to continue our learning on this special topic. During the feedback session, we expressed sincere gratitude for the extensive research and preparation efforts, recognizing that God’s revelation is found in ancient China. Pastor Gavin then provided a further deep-dive by correlating corruption of Eve in Genesis with the archaeological discovery of a tall bronze tree in San Xing Dui. He also illustrated how the design of Altar of Heaven in China, and the process of The Border Sacrifice in the annual imperial sacrificial system, along with the astronomical events in the Chinese classics, aligned with biblical narratives, prefiguring the salvation brought by Jesus Christ.

HOT-Adventure II

Following that, we continued our Old Testament Bible study journey. This was the second gathering of HOT-Adventure in 2024, representing the completion of reading the Books of Judges and Samuel over the past 3 months. Looking forward, sister Janelle announced our next focus of study: Books of Kings and 1 Chronicles. She explained the structures and key themes of these books as follows:

• In 1 Kings, chapters 1 to 11 focus on the expansion of the single kingdom and its growing reputation. Chapters 12 to 22 detail the ministry of Elijah, marking the beginning of the division and decline of the kingdoms.
• In 2 Kings, chapters 1 to 17 document the ministry of Elisha and the downfall of the northern kingdom Israel. Chapters 18 to 25 cover the survival and destruction of the southern kingdom Judah.
• In 1 Chronicles, chapters 1 to 9 focus on the ancestors of David, while chapters 10 to 29 highlight the achievements of David. Although this period overlaps with the Book of Samuel, 1 Chronicles emphasizes the spiritual aspects and the key incidents not recorded in the history.

Bringing the day to a close, she provided a 3-month study plan, recommending an average of 5 to 6 chapters per week.

Thank God for this gracious day ! With grateful hearts, we praise His holy name. Amen !