March 1997
It's one for the Record books! The winter of 96/97 will go down as one for the record books. Record snow falls, record low temps, record weather related financial losses and record cancellations. Records. Records are interesting. I don't know that I've ever set a record in anything. You won't find my name next to any great athletic achievement or any special awards that were given. Records. Who needs them anyway!!? Records remember things that have happened. There is a record of your birth, of immunizations, of school grades, of baptism, confirmation, marriage and one day, there will be a record of your death. Records help us remember.
Ever had something you didn't want remembered? Something you said or did to so-and-so way-back-when? Do you think anyone still remembers? What if everything you ever did was broadcast on radio and television? I mean everything! Would you be excited to see it or frightened, embarrassed and worried for your life?
"If you O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?" Psalm 130:3 If you kept a record, Lord, who could stand? Did you catch that? "IF" he kept a record. No records!! Whew! Isn't that a relief! No records means that it can't be traced back to us. There is no paper trail leading to our door. We're off the hook.
God does not keep a record of our sins. "Why," you ask? Read on in the Psalm: "but with You there is forgiveness, therefore you are feared." Those who place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ have already received the forgiveness of their sins. Christ paid for our sins when he took the rap for the sin setting records we made.
In Jesus, we are forgiven! And not only are we forgiven but our names are now entered into a record book: God's Book of Life. The Apostle John wrote: "Nothing impure will ever enter it (heaven)…but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life." Revelation 21:27 (see also Luke 10:20)
No matter what kind of world records we may have set for sins committed, God keeps no record of our sin. "So what's the catch?" you ask.
Listen to what God's holy record has to say about this: "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Romans 10:9f
Jesus is my Lord, Jesus is my Savior. Confess and believe and you will be saved, eternally! You have God's word on it!
Another one for the record books! In the fall of 1996 our Chinese friend, Roy Pahn, was added to the Lord's Book of Life. Roy has on a number of occasions confessed with his mouth that Jesus is his Lord and his Savior from sin. This past Thanksgiving Roy and his family joined us for supper. We took turns saying what we were especially thankful for. Roy said, "I am thankful that you (Stellick family) were able to come here, be friends to us and share the good news of Jesus with us."
Praise God for bringing Roy into His Kingdom! Thank you for prayers that you offered on his behalf. Thank you for your offerings which enable us to come here on your behalf with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Continue to pray for Roy and his family as together we study the life giving Word of God. There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Luke 15:10
You are probably thinking about getting me an updated calendar. Here it is well into 1997 and I am offering you New Year's greetings. I will take this chance to wish you all the Lord's blessings in 1997 and I will also try and introduce you to the Chinese New Year.
In some respects, the Chinese New Year is not unlike that celebrated in the USA. The New Year brings the feeling of renewal. The old year goes, and with it go old misfortunes and old wrongs; the new year comes and brings the chance for starting afresh. For the Chinese people, Chinese New Year is the most important holiday of the year.
Preparations for the New Year holiday start already weeks in advance. For example, two weeks before New Year is the special day for sweeping the floors. At that time a complete house cleaning begins in every home. Nothing is left untouched. After the house is in order, Chinese housewives will begin stocking up for the New Year holiday. This is the time of the year when shops make much money as people go out to buy all the food that they will prepare and eat over the coming days.
Once New Year's Day has dawned no one may use a knife or do any work at all for at least two days. Because of this, the days just prior to New Year's are the busiest of the year in the kitchen. All food must be readied.
New Year's also means buying presents which are given to family and friends. In this way, the Chinese New Year is similar to the Western celebration of Christmas. The commercial impact of New Year's is also equal to that of Christmas in the west.
This year, Chinese New Year fell on the 7th of February. Suffice it to say that the day for the Chinese New Year is set according to the Lunar Calendar. Although there are variations, this is the time of the year when it is traditionally believed that the Kitchen God ascends to heaven to give a report about you and your family during the past year.
According to lore, the Kitchen God is the deity that best knows you and your family because he lives in your kitchen. If you eat three meals a day and need to cook three meals a day, you spend much time in the kitchen, right? In order to make sure the Kitchen God gives a sweet report to the powers-that-be in heaven, people will set out candy for the Kitchen God to enjoy and, by so doing, sweeten the words that he will use in his report. Children are not welcomed in the kitchen for fear that they would reveal something bad that the Kitchen God would hear. No arguing in the kitchen!
New Year's Eve is the climax of the New Year's celebration. On this day, every home will be sure to put up their Chuen Lien or Spring Couplets. These couplets are poem-like banners which state wishes for good fortune and blessings in the New Year.
The couplets come with three sayings similar to the ones you see. One is hung over the doorway to your home and the other two on each side of your doorway. For example, the Christian couplets that we have by our door say: "Every blessing springs forth from the Lord. The spring breezes excite me to spread the Gospel. The warmth of spring moves me to search the Scriptures." The couplets are written in Chinese characters. These Chuen Lien have offered us another chance to witness our faith as Christians here in a land where only 5 percent confess Christ as Savior.
Out with the old and in with the new! Buying new clothing for every member of the family is a common custom for the Chinese New Year. The greeting for the day is Gong Shee, Gong Shee! Which means "Congratulations, you have made it through another year!"
For many Chinese people, New Year's is a time to go home and be with family. For Chinese Christians in Taiwan, Chinese New Year can be one of the most difficult times of the year. Why? For many, New Year's is a time for remembering and paying your respects to (worshipping) your ancestors.
Many Chinese Christians, because of their faith in Jesus, will be persecuted during this time of the year. When they return home for New Year's, as is expected of them, they will be faced with the pressures of being expected to worship their ancestors.
Pray for our Chinese brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray that the Lord would strengthen their faith and prepare them to face persecution for His name's sake.
"Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted… continue in what you have learned and become convinced of, because you know those from whom you have learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 3:12f
Over the past year there have been many people who have sent us encouraging words through cards and letters and care packages. Some of you we know personally and some of you we hardly know at all and yet we know that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ!. It is hard for you to realize how much it means to us to know that you are supporting us as we carry the gospel of Jesus to the Chinese people here in Taichung. When we recall the cards and letters it reminds us of the many prayers that go out on our behalf: prayers for safety, prayers for health, prayers for adapting to a new culture, prayers for finding and using opportunities to show the love of Jesus, prayers on behalf of the Chinese people that we witness to. Thank you for your support. It seems too small a thing to just say thank you!
May the Lord bless you and keep you and yours in this New Year of the Ox!
The Stellicks
Kevin, Sarah, Hannah & Snowy (the bunny)