2013年11月克安通牧師就預言：「神要呼召你們教會成為原住民的父母，神會給你們馬車，帶你們進到原住民當中。」那時我們最多能想到的就是台灣或中國的原住民，萬沒想到是美國的原住民，因那時，美國的原住民我們一個也不認識。2015年9月在加州慕主錫安堂的”北美回家聚集”，江牧師邀請一位加拿大的大酋長Lynda Prince來分享，那是我第一個接觸的美國原住民，第一次親耳聽到原住民講述他們的心聲。臨走時她說：「希望你們回去看看能否在東岸找到原住民。」
2017年7月在新澤西Egg Harbor有一天的小型”回家”聚集，總共80人，其中中國來的華人有21位，美國原住民有3、4位。費城的Peter Smith牧師說：「美國歷史上白人對原住民的不公義，華人能打開那結，幫助原住民得恢復。」事實上那次中國弟兄姐妹帶來的三千美元，及聚會收到的奉獻，扣除開銷之後所餘的六千美元，我們自己分毫不留，都全數奉獻給原住民，幫助他們解決當年10月”All Tribe DC”聚集租借場地所缺的急需。
2018年12月我們又辦了一次三天的聚集，地點仍在Egg Harbor，前後報名有400人，其中原住民有40位。我們不是特別為他們辦的，也沒有特別去鼓動他們來，但陸續要來的很多，是神在動工，許多華人也奉獻金錢幫助他們的旅費。神也感動當地Praise Tabernacle教會出錢出力，提供場地，代禱，接機，安排住宿，還動員廚房全力投入，三天做美好的三餐給幾百人！
這就揭開我們與美國原住民同行並成為家人的序幕。從2016至今，最先有彭牧師去拜訪在Montana，Nebraska，South Dakota 及Oklahoma 的保留區。後來又有人到賓州看當時印第安孩童的住宿學校遺址。14位東岸華人，加上台灣伍牧師夫婦及十幾位東西岸與德州的非華人一起去South Dakota九個保留區十天敬拜走禱。我們也付代價帶一些人去馬來西亞，台灣，韓國及日本的”回家”聚集，深盼他們當中有人能體會”回家”的核心價值，對他們的族群合一與同行一定能有幫助。
疫情剛要發生之前，2020的二月，我們邀請他們來東岸DC附近同住三天。有原住民11位，白人2位，外地華人12位，當地華人5，6位，一起煮飯，燒咖啡，敬拜，禱告，交通，講故事，最後立鹽約。家在形成，神的愛真實地把我們串在一起。接下來的十個月，直到今天，我們經常上線交通，彼此關心，甚至疫情中有8位還買了票，打算從東岸搭火車20幾小時，去Mississippi 拜訪並關懷他們。那種愛是真實的，是從神來的，是天父的心，祂竟真的選中了我們華人！
幾週前電話上，住Oklahoma 的一姐妹說想來東岸看家人，過聖誕，我們說，好啊！緊接著，別人也響應，結果分別從Montana，North Dakota，New Mexico等地，好幾位原住民也要來，最後來了7位，本地的華人有21位，加上韓國人一位，總共29位在彭牧師的新家有一整天的聚集，敬拜，禱告，吃飯，聊天，交換禮物，分享”回家”，彼此服事。神又做了很大的事，都不是人的計劃安排，是當我們謙卑，心對了，願意彼此相愛尊榮，互相接納饒恕，作家人時，神就做工，不是人做的，是神做的。
有兩位住我們家一整禮拜，天天吃三餐，聊天，談”回家”，談書法，哪裡也沒去，但吸收很多。一星期，集體東岸華人“家”的呈現令他們感動。不是宗教表現，是心靈真誠。不是職稱頭銜，爭競地位，是愛、是關係。不是用福音四律，是用東岸這個已經形成了的神的家。沒有”家”的愛，人不容易被吸引進神的國。所以，去愛吧，用愛把人愛進神的國，也就是神的家，使一個個孤兒成為神的愛子、公主，而不是去蒐集世上的孤兒們，只叫他們信耶穌上天堂！啊，神是天父，神的國是家，教會應該也是家呀，這正是人們尋尋覓覓在找的。這世界是個大孤兒院，神的教會不應該是孤兒院。原住民說在他們本族中所失望的，這幾天在華人中找到了，他們感動，流淚，重複不停地讚嘆。我們也告訴他們說，其實華人也不例外，白人的教會亦然，大半是機構，真正成為家的還是少啊。
這次在東岸他們看到了樣本，看見他們族人的一線希望。有一位說：「我以為我的家只剩我一個人了，但今天知道我還有這個華人的家。這禮拜所學的無法用錢來計算。我們會帶回去，恐怕行李都要大大地超載重了！而且會傳出去。我會去租一個房子，邀請有心人來聚，我要跟他們分享”回家”。”回家”正在往前行進，很快會給你們進展報告。」有一位說：「新皮袋才能裝新酒，真實的關係會帶來爆炸與突破。若沒有你們華人，我不知能否走到今天。」
神無所不知，祂早已知道，祂說：「看哪！先前的事已經成就，現在我將新事說明，這事未發以先，我就說給你們聽。」（賽42:9）原來在不知不覺中，我們已經步入祢永恆的計劃裏。啊，主，祢名成為奇妙！
Letter from Home 12/25/2020: Planting the seed of “Homecoming” among the First Nations
In November 2013, Pastor Anton Cruz prayed and prophesied over us, “Father, we thank you for calling fathers and mothers for the nations, especially fathers and mothers for native people. You will take kings and queens in your chariots to the native people, the tribal people. God is going to use you to be the fathers and mothers. There are going to be new chariots, the Lord says I am going to give you chariots… Father, we see the horses carrying the chariots that will be breaking the yokes… You are called for nations and the aboriginals, they need fathers and mothers. God raised you up so you can release them with you….”
At that time, the most we could think of was the native people in Taiwan or China, never expected it to be the First Nations in America, because we did not know any at that time. In September 2015, at a gathering in Forerunner Church in Fremont, Pastor Chiang invited grand chief Lynda Prince to share. It was the first Native American I came into contact with and the first time I heard their hearts. Before leaving, she said, “When you go back try to find some on the east coast.”
In July 2017, we had a small “homecoming” gathering in Egg Harbor, New Jersey, with a total of 80 people, including 21 Chinese from China and 3 or 4 Native Americans. Pastor Peter Smith of Philadelphia said, “In the history of the First Nations of America much unrighteousness has been done to them, the Chinese can unlock and help restoring.” Actually, $3,000 the Chinese brought from China plus the offering we received at the gathering after expenses, totaled $6,000 were all given to the First Nation for the urgent venue renting need of the “All Tribe DC” in October of that year.
In December 2018, we held another three-day gathering again in Egg Harbor. There were 400 people signed up, including 40 natives. We didn’t do it specifically for them, nor did we specifically encourage them to come, but a lot of them came one after another. It was the work of God. Many Chinese also donated money to help them travel. God also moved the local Praise Tabernacle church to provide finance, venues, prayers, transportation to and from the airport, accommodation, and mobilize the kitchen to devote all their efforts to making three wonderful meals each day for hundreds of people!
This was the beginning of our journey and becoming a family with the Native Americans. Since 2016 many things happened. Pastor Peng was the first to visit the reservations in Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Oklahoma. Later, some of us went to Carlisle, Pennsylvania to see the cemetery of the boarding school for American Indian children. In June 2019, 14 Chinese from east coast, and Pastor and Mrs. Wu from Taiwan, plus a dozen non-Chinese from east coast, west coast and Texas went to the nine reservations of South Dakota for ten days of worship and prayer. Many breakthroughs occurred in the reservations that we visited. We also financially supported some First Nation people to go to the “Homecoming” gatherings in Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan. Our hope is that some of them can appreciate the core value of “Homecoming” because we believe it will definitely help them to walk in unity among their tribes.
Just before the outbreak of the Coronavirus, in February 2020, we invited them to come to DC for three days. There were 11 native, 2 caucasians, 12 out of town Chinese, 5 or 6 local Chinese gathered, we cooked and ate, brewed coffee, worshipped, prayed, fellowshipped, shared stories and finally made a salt covenant. A family was formed and God’s love truly knits us together. In the next ten months, to this day, we meet often online to share our hearts with each other. During the pandemic, 8 of us even bought tickets and planned to travel by train for 20 some hours to visit them in Mississippi. That love is genuine, it’s from God, it is the heart of the Father! And He actually has chosen us the Chinese for this endeavor!
A few weeks ago, while sharing on Zoom, a sister from Oklahoma said that she would like to come to the East Coast to visit and spend Christmas with us. We said, okay! Immediately afterwards, others also wanted to come. As a result, 7 came from Montana, North Dakota and New Mexico. There were 21 local Chinese and 1 Korean, making a total of 29. In Pastor Peng’s new home, we gathered the whole day, worshiping, praying, eating, chatting, exchanging gifts, sharing about “Homecoming”, and ministering to each other. God did a great work again, not man’s plan or arrangement. When we are humble, with our heart right, willing to love and honor each other, accept and forgive each other, be family, then God will work, not human effort but God.
Two of them stayed in our house for the whole week, having three meals a day, chatting, talking about “Homecoming” and learning about Chinese calligraphy. They didn’t go anywhere, but they absorbed a lot. For a week, they were touched by the presentation of the corporate east coast Chinese “family”. It’s not religion but a sincere heart, not striving for title or position, but for love and relationship, no preaching, just the family formed by God’s love. Without the love of a family people would be harder to be drawn to God’s Kingdom. So, let’s love on people, love people into the Kingdom. God’s Kingdom is a family, there each orphan becomes the beloved son and daughter, prince and princess. Our mission is not to gather the lost in the world, tell them to believe in Jesus and go to heaven as orphans! God is the Father, His Kingdom is a family, therefore His church should also be a family. And that is exactly what people are looking for. This world is a big orphanage, thus the church of God should not be an orphanage. The First Nation shared that what they were disappointed and couldn’t find in their own tribes they have found it among the Chinese in the past few days. They were touched, wept, and kept praising God. We also told them that, in fact, the Chinese are no exception, so are the American churches – most of churches are institutions, only very few are families.
This time they saw a sample on the east coast and saw a glimpse of hope for their people. One said, “I thought I was the only one left in my family, but today I know that I have this Chinese family. There is no price tag to all these that we’ve received this week. We will bring it back and I am afraid that our luggages will be so over weight! I will rent a big air B and B and gather those who are ready to hear it, I want to share with them about the ‘Homecoming’. ‘Homecoming’ is on its way, and I will give you a progress report soon.” Another one said, “Only new wineskin can house new wine and only relationship aspect can bring explosion and breakthrough. Without you Chinese, I don’t know whether I can make it to this day.”
God is omniscient, He knows everything. He already knew. He said, “See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.” (Isaiah 42:9) Without our knowing it, we have already stepped into His eternal plan. O, Lord, Your name is Wonderful!
Letter from home 3/23/2019: The True Meaning of the Sabbath
Life is always busy, like the water in the mountains, constantly rushing downward, not easy to find a deep pool for a little stop sometime… As I think of this, I laid my pen down and began talking to God…
It is quiet outside, only small sound of vehicles from far away, the morning sun shines through the clouds and the bare branches into my eyes. I looked up and heard the chirping from the young birds just hatched, coming to my ears from time to time. I said, “Lord, I love You, my life belongs to You. Thank You for giving me grace and strength to have victory over my weaknesses. As a well-known Chinese poem said, ‘From both banks of the gorge come incessant howling of gibbons and monkeys, my skiff has left thousands of mountain peaks behind…’ Likewise, by God’s grace I have moved forward, leaving many of the weaknesses behind. There is such an ease without guilt, and so content just to have the Lord. How can I not be joyful raising up the cup of salvation to praise the Lord?! My heart is at peace, like a weaned child with its mother…”
Looking at the decorations on my desk, books, paper, pens and the coffee cup scattered around the lamp, I said, “Lord, talk to me, your child is listening.” I felt the Lord pat on my back and said, “I am here with you.”
It hasn’t been easy lately, Molica wants to bring several Native Americans to Taiwan to connect with the First Nation in Taiwan, and then go to Japan to participate in “Homecoming Gathering”, hoping they will receive the precious essence of the core values of the “Homecoming.”
Some people already felt led to donate for the needs. Molica began to purchase tickets for them, arrange transportation and accommodation. However, in the midst of the arrangements, some people got sick, one fell and injured her hand. One person’s daughter needed more treatment after kidney transplant, some has financial situation in the home…, one issue after another. While comforting and encouraging people on the phone, she needs to change the tickets, get refund on the tickets, and forward doctors’ medical reports to the airlines. Each time she contacted the airline, there was at least 30 up to 60 minutes hold time. But I sincerely admire her, having peace without agitation or worry, but a sense of assurance, knowing God is in control, God is watching. And a determination to hand things over to God, if I die, I die. That is shalom, the peace that transcends the circumstances, like Jesus slept in the midst of storm, like (Psalm 23:5) says, You prepared a banquet before me in the presence of my enemies.
From shalom, I think of the Sabbath. The story in (Matthew 12:1-13) and (Mark 2:27) is quite interesting. The Pharisees carefully observed the Sabbath according to God’s command. The disciples passed through the grainfields hungry, so they began to pick the grains and eat them. They said that is unlawful. In another case the Lord healed the man with the withered hand on Sabbath, yet they plotted how to kill Jesus. But Jesus said, when David and his followers fled from Saul, they entered into the temple and ate the consecrated bread which is lawful only for the priests to eat. The Lord asked them again, if the sheep fell into the pit during Sabbath, wouldn’t you pull it up? The Lord said that God desires mercy, not sacrifice. The Sabbath was made for men, not men for the Sabbath. But for those who only know the religious traditions without their spirit being enlightened, it would be hard to understand the meaning behind the law. Sabbath is to rest, to have our whole being restored, spirit, soul and body. The shoes are made for the feet, not the feet for the shoes!
If we go a little deeper, (Exodus 20:8-11) and (Deut. 5:12-15), when talking about the Ten Commandments, both mentioned to keep the Sabbath, but for different reasons. The first one, God created all things in six days and rested on the seventh, so the Lord made the Sabbath holy. The second one, God brought the Israelites out of slavery from Egypt, so God wanted them to keep the Sabbath. Though the reasons are different yet the command to keep the Sabbath are the same. So, there must be important meaning behind Sabbath that we should pay attention to. What is it? What is common in between the two? What does God want us to learn?
My thought is, men can neither contribute anything in the creation of heavens and the earth, nor could the Israelites do anything to set themselves free from the slavery in the land. We being created to enjoy life, or the Israelites being delivered to enjoy freedom, are all God’s doing. God has done such great things for us, is there anything God couldn’t do? So why not just relax and rest. Keep the store open for six days and rest one day. Pick up manna for six days and rest on the seventh. Work for six days and reserve one for the family. God watch over the birds in the air and the flowers in the field. Give it a try, God will not fail us. What important is not just keeping the Sabbath day, but to have faith in God!! Correct?
(Heb. 3:7-4:11) quoted (Psalm 95:7-11) saying that the Israelites in the wilderness were not able to enter into God’s rest because of their unbelief (Heb. 3:19), but some did enter God’s rest, because they rested from their own work, just as God rested from His work (Heb. 4:10). So what is important is not to keep the day, but to learn to trust Him. To sleep in the midst of the storm is rest (Matthew 8:23-27). To have circumcision in the plains of Jericho, after crossing Jordan River is rest (Joshua 5:2-8). Being confronted by strong enemy with no ability to resist, but to set up worship and praise to march before the army, is rest (2 Ch. 20:21-22). There is a painting, portraying young birds and the mother nestling on the branch off the cliff, in the midst of rain and storm, that is rest. In the face of setbacks, you are not agitated but holding onto God, that is rest. The devil puts lies in your mind, “My son will never change. In my life time my husband will never change…” But you say, “Ha! Ha! Ha!”, learn to stand on God’s side and laugh at the lies of the enemy, that is rest. How can this be? Because I know that my Redeemer lives and He promises to be with me, so I can enter into the rest that comes from total trust in Him who is the King, the Creator, who is alive and who happens to be my Dad! Even trust Him to a point, like Daniel in the lion’s den, like Daniel’s friend in the red burned furnace, or like Stephen being stoned to death, yet was still able to face it in peace, that is real rest!
The burnt offering is to remain on the altar throughout the night till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar (Lev. 6:8-13). It means in good day or bad day, in easy time or rough time, God wants us to live out the intimacy Adam had with God in the garden of Eden and enter into the rest of total trust.
Therefore, the true meaning of keeping the Sabbath is that God wants us to know Him to a point where total trust in God becomes our lifestyle. And this is the road all God’s children must eventually journey on. I choose to trust in God, in facing every situation, whether it is about family, business, church or nation. I choose to rely on the Lord and face every situation with a positive attitude, not nervous, not cowering, not escaping, but to be a person, full of shalom, stable, peaceful, loving and able to bring this joy of trusting God to others! I believe you also feel the same. For such people, God said He is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them (Heb. 11:16).
This rest does not mean there is no war, but truly know I am a royal son of God, I have inheritance, and there are so much that the Father is waiting to give to me, and to you too. And this is the true Sabbath!
Letter from Home 1/19/2019: New Understanding of Christianity
Understanding God is a progressive journey, this is true in two thousand years of church history, and also true of my 49 years of Christian life. From being an atheist to becoming a believer and then a pastor; from being an extreme conservative to becoming a charismatic, I have diligently pursued God all along and my mindsets have been changed. The Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. I kept searching, like a blind person feeling his way across the river, stumbling from time to time. It is also like making donuts, being knead, baked, deep fried, and then having syrup poured on and fillings added, until suddenly the fragrance breaks forth. The process is not easy, I myself do not comprehend, but at long last I have come out of the tunnel, shaken off the mud, joy welled up from the depths of my being, and others cannot understand… I am grateful that I am alive today and I still have a chance to run after the will of God according to the drumbeat of heaven (Heb 10:36). Any price is worth it. When the American west was being developed, on average, one person died every 16 miles, but look at how prosperous the west is today! Years ago when the cross island highway in northern Taiwan was being built, quite a number of those involved also lost their lives or injured, but today tour buses are going through one after another! Anything God desires to have, is worth dying for, do you agree?
What is the progressive revelation of God for this generation? It is “the family’. For 20 years, “Homecoming”(or called Family Journey) has been impacting nations, and the most noticeable was first the “Convergence” at IHOP Kansas City in September and then “Onething”in December, 2018. Mike Bickle has announced that this“Onething”would be the last after 19 years. Also in many other countries, churches are no longer holding big conference, because they heard God say, “I don’t want conferences, I want a family.” 1982 in Cairo, Egypt, with an audible voice God said to Mike Bickle, “I am going to change the understanding of Christianity on the whole earth in one generation.” and Mike acknowledges that today is that generation! The church is no longer an organization, it is a family; no longer membership, but sons and daughters. What’s important is not doing, but being, it is clearer in English—not doing a son, but being a son. Sons and daughters are to receive inheritance because God is our Father! What Jesus accomplished for us on the cross is much more than just being saved and going to heaven, it is family and the Kingdom! It is all God’s doing, I did not choose Him, it is He who chose me. It is He who merged me into a body and adopted me into His royal family! Father is the King, that makes you and I princes and princesses! After the process of being made into fragrant donuts, we get to sit on the throne with the Father and reign with Him! It is unimaginable! The understanding of Christianity has truly become clearer, black and white turns to color, flat now changes to 3D, and today is that generation.
Actually, these understandings and revelations are already in the Bible, but we are too slow to understand. As early as (Isaiah 66:1) God is mourning, “Heaven is my throne, earth is my footstool, where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?” For two thousand years, we sincerely listen to this and listen to that, earnestly build this and build that, but in the end, it is only what men think, not necessarily what God wants. God’s desire is actually simple: not an organization, not an institution, not membership, but a family. In a family there are parents, children, love, order, peace and joy. The enemy knows what God wants, so he does everything he can to destroy families, relationships, create church divisions, and even try to confuse the gender and distort one’s identity on children. We must build the family to demolish the work of the devil. Turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers so to remove the curse of the land (Mal. 4:6). But as we look about us, for two thousand years, many pastors are still orphans, how can we build a family? Pastor Grace Chiang of California had a sudden insight one day and said, “I myself am a big orphan and function as the director of an orphanage!” What is an orphan? It is one without parents. Without a farther and mother one becomes an orphan. Church lacks no teachers, Paul said, “Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers.” (1 Cor. 4:15) However, we think, who is qualified to be a father? It is true, no parents are perfect, but as long as there are parents, the children feel secure, and each morning the parents do not choose whether they want to be parents for that day. It is a matter of heart (Mal. 4:6).
The enemy is desperately wanting to destroy the family, but the moment man lost in the Garden, God began His mission. God appeared to the forefathers and on Mount Sinai appeared to His chosen people. After the tabernacle was established God spoke from the tabernacle. In the New Testament, Jesus came and made His dwelling among us, His name is Immanuel, God with us. And at the end of Revelation He still says, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.” (Rev 21:3) This is the heart of our Dad. There are two aspects to the entire redemptive plan: (1) You and I are saved and become living stones; (2) living stones are being built into a temple, a spiritual house where God can dwell (1 Peter 2:5; Ephesians 2:2). David Demian said, “God’s end time army is not generals, but parents; not soldiers, but sons and daughters, not weapons, but the presence of God.” The most important thing is the family, the relationship, and that is why the Lord repeatedly said, “A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35) And He said, “That all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent me” (John 17:21)
Our church has taken Bill Johnson’s Leader Development Program online, the very first lesson was “the Kingdom of God is a family.” In recent years more people are talking about the five-fold ministries. Although that is right, I believe the end time church not only needs to restore the five-fold ministry, but more fundamentally, restore the family. The five-fold ministry is not a new organization nor new titles in the church, but mature fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters in the family. We need to be parents first then become apostles and prophets; be parents first, then be evangelists, pastors and teachers. This is the right order so the family will be healthy, and church will be what God desires.
God’s new wine need to be put in the new wineskin. The new wine is to become a family, a dwelling place for God; it is no longer just ministry, organization or institution. The new wineskin is having God’s perspective, willing to be stretched, letting go of the past pride, inferiority, injuries, offenses, orphan mentality, disobedience, temper, wanting things my way, disunity with others, and even be willing to put down titles and degrees. Although there is nothing wrong with titles, they just are not necessary when you are in a family. I love to visit my son’s home. When he comes back from work, I never hear his wife or children calling him, “Doctor Hsu”. When a CEO of a company returns home, he takes off his office clothes, rolls up his sleeves, helps to take care of the children, dumps the garbage, changes the light bulbs, and cooks a meal…, because he is a father at home! As children get older, they also learn to help, set up the table, wash dishes, vacuum the floor… Everyone plays a part. This is a home. Now we are the mature children of Father God, we have grown up, so shall we come build together a happy and glorious family of our Heavenly Father? This New Year I wanted to give Dad a gift. A few days ago while sharing with Molica, I told her with excitement: “I got an idea!” I used to give myself a nick name “Abbalove”, but this new year I will take another one, “Family builder.” I used to be pleased to know I am the Father’s beloved; but now I am determined to build the family for God. I believe this is God’s destiny for me and the church. Pastor Anton Cruz prayed for us in 2013, “Many fathers and mothers will be raised from this church.” I believe this is also God’s calling for many churches which are maturing.
Pastor Peter Smith from Philadelphia shared an analogy: There are several lanes on the highway, most of the churches are on the “church” lane, a few moved to the “church and Kingdom” lane, and fewer people moved to the “Kingdom and church” lane. This has to do with the leaders’ heart and their understanding of the Father. I can see clearly that I am changing lanes. I also encourage aboriginal leaders to move from the “tribal” lane to the Kingdom lane, and encourage the Taiwanese pastors to shift from the “Taiwanese” lane to the Kingdom lane. The “Chinese” lane, “my needs” lane, and “child-centered” lane…, all need to shift, because only God’s desire is really our pursuit.
It is time to rise up, “for the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.” (Romans 8:19). I can almost feel the tremor of the ground, the creation can’t wait to see us grow up! Today’s battle between the darkness and the light are turning white-hot. The church must engage in the battle, no longer slumber. We can’t be like the frog stay complacently in a kettle and get slowly cooked alive. The end time army is the parents, children and the presence of God. The spiritual United Nations is taking shape. It’s time we enter our destiny, stand in the position and begin to see His Kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven, now!
There is a price to pay. As a forerunner one can be mocked and criticized, but do not be afraid, there are plenty revolutionary martyrs that paid the price for their ideals. It is normal to have casualties in battles. Like Gideon chose the 300, those who were afraid were let go. To be an overcomer one must die to his old self. The Lord had made it clear, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.And anyone who does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26-27) When you join the army, you need to shave your head, change into uniform, obey orders, are you willing?
However, the Holy Spirit is encouraging us. We are the Kingdom people, the spiritual house being built with the living stones to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit. We are also a river of the living water, full of love, joy, childlike purity, simplicity, vitality and the power of the Holy Spirit. Wherever this river flows the Kingdom of God is brought there also— to our loved ones, friends, neighbors, to the Chinese, non-Chinese and to the aborigines. In the desert of the church the oasis is appearing, and one is connecting to the other. The oasis is the family that God desires to have. We are saved! And the world also rejoices with us!
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Egg Harbor Homecoming, December 2018
Egg Harbor Homecoming, December 2018
12/6-8/18 “Egg Harbor Homecoming” there was a total of more than 400 people registered, and about 40 First Nation people who came from all over the country, some flew, some drove. The Praise Tabernacle church in Egg Harbour, New Jersey was fully engaged in registration, meal preparations, and together with the neighboring churches also coordinated with pickups for so many from Philadelphia and other airports, they also arranged accommodations, and lead worship… None of us knew how to run a Homecoming meeting, we could only let God do it. As a result, God truly has done a great thing among us. We are full of cheers and joy:
(1) One of the First Nation sisters said with tears in her eyes that she had waited for this day for many decades.
(2) Another man told me that he had been to hundreds of meetings that the First Nation people were invited to, but most of the time the honoring was done superficially, but this time was different… Although he didn’t have enough money to come he came anyway, and it was totally worth it, he had no regrets.
(3) The cost to help the First Nation people to come had already exceeded $10,000 before the meeting, most of them had limited resources. There were four sisters of a prayer team from Oklahoma, their combined offering was only $75. I was sincerely touched.
(4) An elderly Caucasian missionary couple who have served in the First Nation reserves for more than 20 years said that they themselves were greatly transformed this weekend. Many First Nation people and non-indigenous people all said that they had never seen a meeting like this…
(5) The repentance and asking for forgiveness among the tribal conflicts displayed before us on the stage moved us greatly… In this safe family of God the young people also voiced their deep longing for breakthrough, expressed their repentance of their arrogance toward the older generation, and two brothers sang a song asking the Holy Spirit to come, God’s anointing was so thick, they cried and we all cried with them…
(6) At the last session, a totally unexpected big event happened. A lady publicly knelt down and apologized to the Frist Nations. She is a descendant of President William Henry Harrison who was a well-known general that killed the first nation leader and prophet Tecumseh who was uniting all the First Nation groups at that time. There was a prophesy saying that when the descendants of Harrison appeared and publicly apologized to the First Nation, it would be the time that the First Nation peoples could be united and their hidden prophets would come out of hiding. The lady said that God moved her to come to this Homecoming, and at the meeting moved her to publicly apologize.
Still so much to share… Thanks be to all who participated in much labors and intercessions behind the scene, and many who gave monetary offerings sacrificially to make this gathering possible… Our good Dad knows and He will bless each one of us.
Glory be to God and joy be to all of us that He loves so much…
Letter from Home: Homecoming starts with me
Letter from home 11/21/2018: Homecoming starts with me
Several members of our church went to IHOPKC Homecoming, including my second son Kiley. I asked a few of them to share two Sundays in the roll. Many shared that they were very moved by how closely the Homecoming people engaged with one another, and were hoping that the same could happen in our church. That day I also asked my son to share, and we engaged in a very deep conversation…
He said, “I saw many couples in Homecoming are quite intimate with one another, but you and mom are not. Most of the time you are downstairs concentrating on your work and mom is upstairs playing with the game on her Ipad, you don’t talk to each other much, sometimes even confrontational. Your tone of voice is not very nice, I believe there must be some deeper root issues….”
I said, “May be mom has a higher expectation of me, she feels I am not capable enough, I did not clean the garage for a long time, roof needs repairs for a while…, so I am not good enough as a husband.”
He said, “No, no, no, that’s not it, it is your heart. Mom does not feel you cherish her enough. You are very focused on your own thing, didn’t spend time with mom intentionally. Mom actually is quite accommodating to you. I feel you should treat mom better, loving mom is your responsibility as a husband, Homecoming must starts with you.”
We talked for a long time that day, finally he said, “To share about Homecoming, I actually don’t know what to say. “
I said, “Why don’t you just share what we talked about today on Sunday, just be honest, it will be okay. What you are sharing is exactly right – for the church to become a home, it needs to start with me. Luckily I am still alive and there is chance for me to change. “
He said, “Once I shared it in public, you need to start working on it, right?!” I said, “I will, I promise. “
After our conversation he asked me, “Was it too heavy for you? ” I said, “No, I accept it 100%, I am willing to change.”
I told him, before I went aboard after graduation from university, I can’t recall exactly what happened, my father admonished me and I was not very happy. Then my father said, “You are an adult now, ready to go aboard, there will not be many people in the society that will speak truth to you, they will criticize you behind your back, for those who does speak truth to you, you need to treat them as friends.”
We chatted about something else, I said, actually I have made progress, many people in the church had made improvement also… Then he asked me, “Have I made progress?” I said, “Yes! You have matured a lot. You are bold and have wisdom, able to speak the truth to your dad, that is not easy, but you spoke well and I didn’t feel offended, I can accept it completely.” After that, I embraced him and said, “Based on what my dad told me, you are the one that spoke the truth to me, I will treat you as my friend.” He smiled and said, “That was better than I thought.”
The purpose of sharing this story is to tell you that I am still in the process, but I am willing to continue to take the steps forward, not to disappoint the Lord, nor disappoint Kiley. The real Homecoming starts with me, it is not acting superficially, but come from the heart, this is what Kiley tried to point out.
It is not easy to be a family, intimacy between husband and wife is not easy, but for Kiley’s sake I want to be a good husband. Someone said, “The best gift a father can give to the children is to love their mother.” Agree? Love comes from the heart. It is not only presence in the body but absence in heart, only obligations and function as husband and wife, but no engagement in the hearts. Homecoming starts with oneself, are you willing? This is Abba Father ‘s heart desire, and the longing of our children.
I remember many years ago, Papa Gideon and Papa Demian’s church taught on relationship between husband and wife in adult Sunday school. They told me, they traveled away from church so much, so when they returned home they had to take the makeup classes on husband and wife relationship, because that is the foundation!
So, how do I love? What did Kiley point out? What is love?
I thought I had love, but my son reminded me, love is for me to come out of my boxes, to think on other’s behalf, to show tenderness, to be tender to the other is to be considerate for the other. What is love? Love is not selfish, not boast, not self-seeking, not easily angered, is patient, kind…. (1Corinthians 13:4-7) talks about this. Can I ask you, how many did you fail? I failed in almost everyone, I am ashamed!
I thought I did pretty well, and didn’t expect, to receive a failing grade from my son! Are we willing to improve toward that? Your wife is waiting, your husband is waiting, your children are waiting – hoping and waiting for the parents to change. Some couples fought most of their lives and ended up in divorce, the children not only were disappointed at the parents, they became disappointed at God….
I know we can’t be perfect, but we can improve – today will be better than yesterday, and tomorrow will be better than today. I also hope we can be friends, tell me what is wrong with me in front of me, not behind me. I want to listen, I am willing to change. I believe what is impossible with man, is possible with God…
When we can be like that for each other, our children will be comforted and our Heavenly Father will say to the angels and all the saints, “See, that is my boy! My girl! “
Letter from Home: Four lanes on the highway
Letter from Home 11/23/18: Four lanes on the highway
A few weeks ago, we had lunch with some leaders and intercessors in a Chinese restaurant, Pastor Peter Smith from Philadelphia said, our ministries are like riding on the highway. There are four lanes, with different levels of glory which has to do with our hearts and our mindsets: (1) The first lane is the church lane (2) The second lane is the church and Kingdom lane (3) The third lane is the Kingdom and church lane (4) And the fourth lane is the break down lane.
(1) Most churches are driving on the first lane focusing on their own needs – preaching, home visitations, children and youth programs, even evangelism and community services are for the purpose of church growth, not having much to the Kingdom of God. I think 99% of the churches are on this lane, not to say there is anything wrong with this, except we are still children, only able to focus on our own needs, and not quite ready to know the heart of Abba Father.
(2) A few churches slowly grow in maturity, understand more, begin to care about the Kingdom of God, and they gradually begin to shift to the church/kingdom lane.
(3) There are some churches which are mature fathers and mothers, who really understand Daddy’s heart. They no longer care only about their own business, but care about the Kingdom of God. God’s desire becomes their pursuit. I think this is what the five fold ministries is about – The five fold ministries is not another church structure, or about titles, the difference is their heart and mindset – pastors focus more on caring for people, and the apostles and the prophets connect more with heaven and the things of the Kingdom.
(4) Finally, the break down lane is where the orphans are. They have yet to understand the Father’s love and don’t know how to be sons and daughters, or they may be those who are severely wounded and paralyzed, waiting for others to rescue and help.
Which lane is your church on? Ours is a family being united in the heart of God, moving from the church lane to the church/kingdom lane. As we drive toward the horizon, we realized our perspectives are broadened, our vision is changing, all of a sudden we can see the world like we have never seen it before, while we were in the first lane… ! I am free, I rejoice, I am so excited that I want to embrace the heavens and the earth…! Who can understand, how happy I am !!!
During the prayer meeting in the evening before Thanksgiving, Brother Mingway gave an excellent illustration! He said, “What I am thankful for this year is, in the past we were in a box, but now the box is open and spread out flat. We are still a church, but have entered into the Kingdom of God. This year, I have seen the process of this box being opened, I see Lisa, Angela, Bo Yan, Yanna, Yi Jiang… come out of the box one by one, even our children are growing, experiencing many things, and their attitude towards God is almost as mature as that of the adults … Like the cloud of witnesses, the church is a family maturing together in the Lord…
Sister Tina added, “We are a house of bread growing together, hand in hand, old and young, entering into Canaan the promise land… ” Sister Xiuduan said, “Jumping out of the box and entering into the Kingdom, now I not only love our own church but also love other churches. Churches need to open up the box in order to accomplish what God desires.” Sister Lini said, “After coming out of the box God has taken me to a higher ground to see things from a new perspective. I realize that trials and difficulties are part of His process for me to grow, so I no longer fear! People that I used to want to stay away from, now I am able to love… “
In the past year the church has been through a lot, but what we ended up with is peace, unity, love and simplicity, my heart is filled with gratitude. Everyone is changing and maturing, including myself. Believe it or not, right now is my happiest moment in my 37 years as a pastor…
Everything is nice and calm outside. It is Thanksgiving, no one goes to work, hardly any car on the road, I just saw the morning sun rising behind the trees and through the leaves, beaming into my eyes. I can hear the geese calling outside, while inside, the heater is making a little quiet sound. I lit a candle on the desk, the tiny flame flickering, a little green grass in a glass cup standing next to a piece of brown fossil rock by the window, bringing out the color of the green bushes right outside the window. I love candles, especially when Molica is not with me, the candle accompanies me. One thing special about candles is that it’s flame moves, alive, it keeps talking to me. I am also talking to the Lord, “Today is Thanksgiving, Lord, what gift can I bring to You? Ah, only a heart which is full of gratitude and love to You…. “
Letter from Home: Dialogue with God
11/24/18 Letter from home: Dialogue with God
At the prayer meeting, Brother Jacob’s prayer was one of the most sincere prayers I have ever heard. Right after his first sentence, I couldn’t help but to quickly jot it down:
Sometimes I feel like sleeping, but I also want to speak to You. It is getting cold… Sometimes I am reckless, but You are guiding me behind the scene. Thank You for enabling me to continue to go forward passionately. I don’t know if I am pleasing You with what I have done. You are the Creator, though we are so minute, we can still enjoy Your love and wonder. You give us breath of life, how precious is that…
Many friends and relatives are gone, yet we are still alive, what is there left that is worth for us to do? Hope to receive more revelation during our conversation…
All I can say is to be thankful. Looking into the past, and facing the future, this world is becoming more and more complicated, that is because we understand much more than before, if we can turn our focus on You, then it will become much simpler…
The above is Jacob’s prayer, the following is my diary in the last few days, most of them are also talking to myself and sometimes dialoguing with God:
Monday:
Because of jetlag, I woke up early with these words ringing in mind: A unified, loving and generational family, a culture of honor, a heart which pursues Father’s desire – let’s run towards these goals. Live a life like Jesus, finish the work He entrusted us and then one day receive a rich welcome into His eternal Kingdom. This is my encouragement to myself and my fellow pilgrims.
Tuesday:
It has been 4 days since I came back from Taiwan, still going through jetlag I woke up in the middle of the night. As I lay back down to sleep I wept in my prayer, “Father God, I love You, I love You, I love You, O, how I love You, I love You, I love you… ”
Over and over I called out to Him, love flooded up from the depth of my heart like spring, continuously telling Heavenly Father I love Him… And I continued, “Let Your love flow out of me without blockage, with no leak…”
On my bed, I curled up, laying sideways, pillowed my head on my hands putting together. I am not lonely, I am Daddy’s precious child, I can sense that Father God was also laying there, holding me in His arms….
Molica is still in Taiwan I am home alone. Raining on the outside, I could hear the “tic-tac” sound of the water dripping from the second floor gutter to the first floor roof, sometimes fast, sometimes slow. The light is dim, the room is peaceful and quiet, I closed my eyes, but reluctant to fall asleep now – only allow my overwhelmed waves of emotions to upsurge in the vast ocean of God’s love…
I went downstairs, picked up the pen to write, after finished writing I went back upstairs. The moment I went to bed, I couldn’t help but cry again, Heavenly Father never departed, He was in my room the whole time…
Thursday:
All these years as a believer and as a pastor, at this point of my life the greatest burden in my heart is to build a home for Heavenly Dad. Since when did I change…?! What has “Homecoming” brought to me? From an orphan I have become a son, and only a son can become a father…
My heart is filled with gratitude, I am grateful to Papa and Mama Gideon Chiu, Papa and Mama David Demian, and every parents, brothers and sisters all over the world that has the same heart desire. You have testified your life by living it out in maturity, focusing not on title, position, performance, not even on ministries…, but a life that is sweet, beautiful and fragrant, easy to be with…, and a heart that only wants to attend to Father God’s heart….
Thank You, Heavenly Dad, You are so awesome, You are able to reach down from heaven to touch the lost and hardened heart like Adam and Eve that hid behind the fig tree in the bushes… I love You, Dad, O, how I love You… I am totally satisfied, whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You… (Psalm 73:25) As I wrote, beautiful words began to flow out of my mouth, I wept as I wrote, love of God overflowing and overwhelmed me….
East Coast Homecoming Gathering – Right time, right place and right people
East Coast Homecoming Gathering –
Right time, right place and right people
This East Coast Egg Harbor Gathering (12/7-8) in NJ is happening at the right time, right place and with the right people specially arranged by God.
1. Right time:
This Gathering falls on Hanukkah, the Jewish feast (12/2-9), this year. We didn’t realize that at the beginning until much later. Hanukkah celebrates God’s intervention, supernatual provision and the turning of defeat into victory.
2. Right place:
The meeting place will be in Egg Harbor, NJ. Right after the Montreal Gathering 6/29-7/4,2017, God asked us to host an East Coast Gathering in Egg Harbor, NJ. We said, Montreal was like the womb, the Gathering In Egg Harbor on 7/15 would be like the “Egg” that was birthed, it was also like a “Harbor” where the boat was set to sail.
When we chose this place to gather, we were not aware of (1) The wonderful revival God had done in this place. In fact nearby Vineland is the original place of the holiness revival 150 years ago (1867) which later moved westward and eventually ignited the famous Asuza revival of the west coast. (2) That this is the place where William Penn, the first governor of Pennsylvania, had signed a treaty with the First Nation people in America. (3) God used a group of Chinese from China who couldn’t make it to Montreal and ended up coming to the United States to open the first page for the Chinese on the East Coast to care about the First Nation of USA. (4) In addition, next year, 2019, will be the 400th year of African slavery in this land. In 1860 along the underground railroad routs from NY to Delaware, Egg Harbor happened to be one of the areas where these escaping slavery had a direct path to go into Pennsylvania, in which slavery had been outlawed.
Many prophets prophesied that 2019 (Jewish calendar 5779) will be the year of the greatest harvest of souls. The Hebrew letter nine [ ט] looks like the sky is bursting open, like the window of heaven is open and the water is coming down. Like the breaking of water, new life is about to be birthed! The egg is coming out, and revival is about to set sail from the East Coast!
3. Right people: What is so touching for us is that many First Nation people have already said that they wish to attend this Gathering. The revival in America must start with the First Nation, otherwise the curses of the land cannot be removed. The family on the East Coast is facing a huge challenge, but we believe that in this Hanukkah season God has a plan. As long as the family walk in faith and obedience, and participate, we believe God will bring about a great breakthrough just like He did in the West Coast and IHOPKC which were beyond what we could imagine.
Thinking back to April of this year, when a few Chinese families in North America went to Papa Gideon Chiu’s home in Vancouver in spite of the winter storm, we came together to discern what God has for North America. By God’s grace we responded believing God will use us to have a part in changing this beautiful land of America. We decided, like in the chamber of prophet Elisha, to strike the ground with the arrows many times. It is also like having three fingers, the west, the south and the east, to hold this land of America. We had the gatherings in the West and South and now what we need is the East. Do pray about it, ask if God wants you to participate to accomplish the vision we received in the beginning of the year. We need God, we also need the family!
God is on the move, it is the right time, right place and we have the right people. May the Lord personally touch your heart and speak to you. We are looking forward to seeing you there !
PS, because we have quite a number of First Nation coming from all over USA, they desperately need our financial support, it is not a small amount, if God led you to help, please send the check address to Kingdom Alive, and send to 12 Lilac Lane, Someret, NJ 08873. Thank you
Love,
Fred Hsu and the team, 10/20/2018
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