Pastoral Sharing S Wong(MJ)
S Wong(MJ) (9)
Mount Joy Christian Community Church (MJCCC) 喜樂山華人基督教會 – article 3 (Sept 2020)
Q&A
Q1) Where is MJCCC?
We are trying to reach out the community at the north east area of Markham so we reach out a church called Olive Branch Community Church (OBCC) (175 Anderson Ave, Markham). Praise the Lord that even though OBCC only provides English service, it does see the needs and opportunities to reach out Chinese-speaking community in the area as the half of the population in Markham is Chinese-oriented. So OBCC welcomes us to use its space to reach out the community. Our original plan is to use one of their classrooms to have the MJCCC first service at 5:30pm on Oct 10 2020 (10102020). Due to pandemic situation, we may go to do the first service online.
For those who came from Hong Kong more than 20 years ago, probably nobody would not know Sam Hui (許冠傑). His songs are so relevant to everyone living in Hong Kong. They are not only in Cantonese but also show the voices of many people in Hong Kong. A song, “Money Money Money”, is one of them, showing how Hong Kong people were struggling for money in 1975. But do you think it is still very relevant today?
Money is real! It has real impact to our lives – starting from feeding our own tummies to saving lives. It can give us satisfaction but also it can call out the evil side of human being. It can bring better living to a family but also it can destroy many precious relationships between generations. No matter what belief we have, no matter where we live, no matter how old we are, no matter how much education we receive, no matter what generation you belong, you can’t simply escape from its influence. Sound very powerful, right?!
What is Gospel? How to share the Gospel (better)? They are forever questions that many Christians would ask continually. I am not going to look at it from a theological perspective today. Just try to look at it in a slightly different way.
G: God – driven by God! Need to Recognize that the leadership of gospel sharing is always God! Need to believe that God knows the world, the context and even us better than ourselves. God chose the time when Jesus was born. God chose the disciples before they realized what was happening. God raised His son from the death before the world was ready. God always works ahead of us! We cannot outplay God!
O: Open – He opens the door for us! God is the one to provide the opportunity for us to share the gospel. In NYCCC, all of our evangelical ministries are opened by God. Our ministry to Guelph, Ouje-Bougoumou (Quebec), Argentina, Muslim community, international students, dancing outreach, Dystonia support group, after-school high school program, etc are opened by God over the last few years. But it doesn’t mean we simply sit down and wait. We still have to do the next action.
Moses spent 40 years in the Egyptian palace and then 40 years in the dessert. “What is the purpose of mylife? What is the future of my life? What should I do next?” I am not sure if Moses asked these questions when he was wandering in the dessert everyday but these questions are quite popular nowadays.
Many people indeed make a big impact or fortune when they are able to write books about these questions and help people address these questions biblically or financially. God came to meet Moses around the age of eighty to answer those questions for him. Moses had a mission – to bring God’s chosen people out of Egypt: out of bondage of slavery and sin!
Why do we need to do missions? People may say it is a meaningful act. People may say that it is good to spread the love of GOD. People may also answer that it is a command from our LORD, JESUS CHRIST (Mt28:19-20).
Even though JESUS was not asked this question directly, HE did read out the Scripture in the synagogues after HE spent 40 days in the desert. Luke 4:18-19 (NIV) “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight forthe blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come,follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’” (Matt 4:18-19)
At the beginning of HIS ministry, JESUS was a stranger to many people but HE was not a random person in human history. HE is the one chosen by God to fulfill God’s law and complete the salvation plan for humankind. HE was baptized and then HE beat Satan and his temptation face to face by the words of God. HE was then to bring the most important change to the world. HE preached repentance and prepared to die for our sins. HE is ready and HE loves to invite you to join HIM. Are you ready?
Maybe not. Nobody is perfectly ready. Indeed, we never feel we are ready to work with Jesus, obey His commands, or serve HIM. Our Lord is not following our own agenda and schedule. HE has higher plan for us.
Sunny Wong
ACEM 37th English Missions Conference is moving to a new phase. This year is the first time that the ACEM Church Family are going to have three major gatherings – the first one will be on Oct. 16, 2015 at Markham Christian Community Church (MCCC) while the other two will take place on Oct. 23, 2015 at Toronto Christian Community Church (TCCC) and Richmond Hill Christian Community Church (RHCCC). At theMCCC gathering, another change is afoot; we have invited a panel of guest speakers in order to have an interactive dialogue
between them and the audience. However, what truly matters is that our speakers would be used by God to lead us to see what HE is doing and how we should respond in this special moment in history – a world full of unsettling and confusing changes:
UNDERSTANDING OUR TIMES!
Ouje-Bougoumou (OJ) means “the place where people gather” according to the language of Crees, a group of aboriginal people living in the northern part of Quebec. To brothers and sisters of ACEM churches, it also means a place where God shows His love and presence.
This year, our team has 16 brothers and sisters from 4 different ACEM churches together with 5 non-ACEM church people. Though we come from different churches and background, we all share one and the same goal - which is to bring joy, blessing and the gospel to the native kids.
This year is my fourth year to visit the reserve and no matter which year we go, the native kids always welcome us. Every year, we run a children’s camp for around 20-30 kids in Bible school 60 kilometres away from their village. We keep them away from their home. They hold our attention all the time. We set up some rules with them. They solicit our understanding and appreciation to their habit and culture. We teach them Bible stories. They tell us their stories which soften our hearts and touch our souls. We stay with them for 5 days in the Bible school. They live forever in our memory.
When we go for a mission, we always ask what we can do for the people there – running various workshops, giving out intensive training, making frequent home visits, providing biblical teaching, etc. We should also ask what God wants us to learn. We should learn to listen and to be humble - listen to what Pastor Enoch and his wife, Auntie Freda, have been experiencing in the mission field; humbly submit ourselves to one another in the team. Pastor Enoch and Auntie Freda have been faithfully serving the native people in OJ for more than two decades. Their stories are one of the most vivid living examples of following Christ wholeheartedly and obediently. We may not be able to change anyone in the field but I believe God wants to change us first in the mission trip.
In 2006, I graduated from Tyndale Seminary and joined NYCCC immediately as an assistant pastor. Since then, I was offered the opportunity to represent NYCCC to serve in the ACEM mission department, where I can understand how our ACEM churches support a number of missionary projects and missionaries around the world. More importantly, I have the chance to share their passion for mission. This is a wonderful and valuable experience for me.
Surprisingly, I discovered that the ACM churches have been supporting so many ministers serving people of different parts of the world. Their love for Christ and their passion for the people run deep into my heart. Each minister courageously and faithfully proclaims the word of God of the people and to the nation. Why is it that they obey God so faithfully?
I believe all of them share the similar experience of Jeremiah. The Bible says:
“But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 1:7-8)
