October 6, 2022
Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
Peace be with you!
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
2022 might be said to be a turbulent year globally. Though Europe, America and other countries had successively announced they are freed from the pandemic, infection cases are still everywhere. To worsen the matter, the war between Russia and Ukraine since February has created millions of refugees from Ukraine. This has brought the crisis of the supply of petroleum and natural gas to many European countries. Global price index soared and deeply influenced everyone’s daily life. Let us not be alarmed but trust wholeheartedly to God to spread the gospel fervently and save men’s souls. “The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” May God’s children no longer be a folly. We ought to give careful thought to our ways, go up into the mountains and bring down timber and be enthusiastic to build up the temple of the soul in everyone. The families and the churches should not be halting in the spiritual desolation condition. May the daily words of the Lord shake, shine and turn us around. May our hearts be aroused to be determined to accomplish the Lord’s commission. Let us and the church be prepared according the Lord’s words to stand firm in the faith and not be tossed by every wind of doctrine, but to rescue the lost souls and accomplish the great commission!
Early September six co-workers of the Salt Lake City Chinese Christian Church had responded to the invitation of Pastor Chen to visit Home of Grace in Christ’s Workers in New Orleans. Once they had landed from the plane, Pastor Chen brought them straight to our house. This was the first time that we received external co-workers this year. For this, we gave all the thanks to our Lord! We all gathered immediately. We commenced from “the life of Shang-jie Song”. He was chronically ill. He spent his life in pain and suffering but he was filled with power and strength. He led millions of souls to the Lord. To realize that “China will return to the Lord”, he gave up everything on earth; even things men would cherish were thrown into the Pacific Ocean, leaving behind a diploma to be brought to his parents. All our visitors were deeply touched on hearing the above! In his last days, he specifically saw in the spirit the importance of the God’s workers themselves. They had to retreat deeply in the Lord, enter the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, be renewed in strength and resume their work. The work of Home of Grace is to prepare a place of retreat for the workers so they may revive their body, heart and spirit to resume their work.
Thereafter, we examined the Bible by Bible-comparison between 2 Chronicle 2 and 1 Corinthians 5 and mirrored our true self deeply in the spirit. Finally, everyone said a prayer to remove the yeast and thus ended the gathering. We were so thankful as everyone gained something. They all said, “we will come again next time”. The next day before they left the place, they came to bid us farewell. We praised God wholeheartedly for His work.
Due to some environmental factors since March, our zoom platform of HOG and London encountered shortage of speakers. Thank God, all co-workers from overseas came together to overcome the obstacle diligently. Praise be to God; we saw God raised up a new group of co-workers to participate in our daily service!
Our Home of Grace in London has also completed the cumbersome and difficult legislative filing process during the pandemic. We saw God had turned each and every difficulty to praises. Thank God, the pastor and co-workers of London Huaxia Christian Church also helped us in various ways.
The different houses in China also experienced God’s special protection and grace. They were filled with God’s abundant provision in many aspects. All parts of the body cared about one another and shared their haves and have not. Though they were unable to gather physically, they interceded and cared faithfully. They did not stop to follow the Lord’s words each day to equip their own life actively. They also followed faithfully the leading of the Holy Spirit to continue their work.
Finally, we wish to encourage one another through the fourth verse of “the Song of Battling in the Spirit” written by Shang-jie Song: “At the end days God’s children must be alert in prayers and stand in the watch tower to block up the breach. Whatever is bound on earth will be bound in heaven. Whatever is loosed on earth will be loosed in heaven. Utilize the Lord’s power to destroy all the schemes of the devil, see thoroughly and plead thoroughly till Jerusalem is established.”
From all members of Home of Grace for Christ’s Workers