Editor's Note: You are reading a Chinese-Church observation by Brother Yang, a preacher and a poet in Nothern China serving for over 20 years. He's stating his hope for the church in the year 2017. When looking back, Brother Yang described the current situation of the church in Jiang-Huai region, with the term of "Grace in the hysteresis" and "Self-depression and self-breakthrough."
Grace in the hysteresis
So far as I’ve learned, the Chinese church overall is behindhand, both on visible and invisible. It is passive and protracted. Specifically, many churches didn’t finish their yearly plan, and stagnated on a spiritual pride which they hold in the 1960s.
By now, the unreached peoples haven’t flocked to church, church’s growth is slow, which should be fast when facing the flooded unchurched souls. If our passion and enthusiasm for evangelism are smaller than those of secular people for fame and gain, the church is behindhand, even would be marginalized and be religious furnishing with no voice.
Surviving in the great commercial tide, the church is all at sea and might have lost her focus: what should I do and what’s my focus? The Great commandment, “go and make disciples of all nations,” was misinterpreted deliberately by some authority officers. One of the reasons that the church fall behind is that they “didn’t go” where Jesus commanded “go.” Jesus encourages the church try her best to “Go” to preach the Gospel, as the disciples did on Pentecost. So many churches on the ground, they should not hid or wall themselves off.
That being said, my church and me, all in the weakness, experienced the grace and the true meaning of that. Though behindhand, the church are growing; though in weakness, the Holy Spirit have inspired many to participate. Donating or lending, they are helping on the church building’s construction. The number of believers are increasing. All these tell us that human are finite while God is infinite.
Self-depression and self-breakthrough
The status quo is that there are many loyal church but less are revival. Reasons are many, covering the weakness of the leaders, the followers, and the secular culture. Those unreached should come to the church yet the secular word is more appealing to them. And the church is outshone in meeting their spiritual hungry. The valuable gospel was cheaply treated; the rich message was dully delivered. Even the church leaders are trapped in the commercial tide, lost their dignity as “royal priesthood.” The church are dead except her mouth!
It’s easier said than done. While when shouting to the Lord, I just find that I’m not alone, that there are many watchdogs. I felt the long-lost love and touch; I regained faith that the truth and the light are in the church, so as our God.
The church I belong to experienced a mixed 2016. some church leaders stick to principles. thought hard, they are blessed by what they did. While some are attracted by the secular world, and becoming a hindrance to the revival.
The hope in the year 2017
It’s a mixed land with both lilies and thorns. The church in the world is like lily among the thorn, wanting to save souls and enlarge its boarder. Thus the church, we, should follow Jesus, adhere to the way of the cross.
There must be a way. At worst, the church is pounded on all sides. At Best, the church is besieged on opportunities. There would be fruit as long as the church “Go,” as long as the church won’t sit still waiting for death.
The clouds clear away
The earth is seriously polluted. The heavy haze, and the depletion of the ozone layer, are threatening human’s survival. These are less dreadful when compared with the authority of the air (Satan). our church cannot say that “everything is better in the new year.”In fact, it could be worse. The church’s develop is limited to her surroundings, both visible and invisible. The view and the behavior of Christians, as long as the Christians are alive, mush have conflicts with their circumstance. Thus we can only break through the invisible wall by God’s power.
The church shouldn’t wait only. It takes courage and action, to see the work of God.
