A Pastor's Letter: I Miss You, Wish You Peace!

Brothers and Sisters,

Peace to you from our Father in heaven!

Due to the impact of the new coronavirus, churches across the country have recently suspended their meetings. From the first day of Spring Festival till now, it has been three weeks. We really miss everyone. I have been thinking of you all the time. I pray that God will take care of all the brothers and sisters, whether they are in their hometowns or staying in Shenzhen.

Because of the  coronavirus this Spring Festival has become the most special Spring Festival in history. There are no celebrations, no assembling, no gathering, no visits, and the holiday is particularly long. Everyone is unhappy, and there are indelible shadows in everyone's heart. Especially for some brothers and sisters who have returned to their hometowns in Wuhan and Hubei, you have experienced more suffering than us. Every time I hear a message from you about peace, my heart is particularly filled with love and moved as well as grateful! I believe that after the epidemic, everyone can bear witness to how you have grown in your Christian life.

Today, in the face of the raging virus, our mood may be affected and we may panic. Many brothers and sisters send messages to ask: "Is God not loving? Why should such a plague occur?" We must know it is not God that causes plagues, it is human sin and the specter of evil that cause the plague. To escape the plague, we must abandon evil. We cannot allow God to bear the blame for the plague because of God's sovereignty over all things. It is true that God is using the plague, but this does not mean that He is the source of evil. His anger is sent out against sin; where there is an abundance of sin, there is God's righteous anger. Therefore, we must not only see the anger of God behind the plague, but also see the mercy of God. God is righteous, so he will be angry with sin. But God is also loving, and his love spreads to thousands and thousands of people. He does not want humans to go toward destruction but be filled with regret and go to heaven!

No matter whether we are facing persecution or natural disasters, we do not need to panic. It does not mean that Christians will not be sick or die in this disaster. It means that we have the gift of God's grace; even if our bodies are dead, our souls will never die! We have eternal life! We can also be together in heaven forever with our family and friends who have experienced the same grace! What a great comfort, what a beautiful hope! We have a country that cannot be shaken in our hearts, so we don't need to worry or be fearful!

At the same time, it also gives us a small warning and reminder: Do you live in sin, are you in the world, or in God? We know that there is suffering in the world, and there is peace in the Lord. As God's people, all our hopes of rest are in Christ, and there is no real peace and joy outside of Christ. It also reminds us: our God is not the "Christian God" locked in the church, He is the Lord of the earth, and our faith in God should not be changed! The Lord Jesus has overcome everything for us so we can overcome everything through the Lord! In the face of difficulties, don't let the world tell you how hard the problem is; but let us tell the world how big our God is! Therefore, in the midst of adversity, we must pay attention to God, and rely on God so we can be strong and courageous!

During this Spring Festival, let us read the scriptures at home, pray, draw close to God, and also urgently pray for the relief of the epidemic. Since we cannot go out and can only stay at home, we must make good use of our time, read the Bible more, get closer to God, and lead our family to build an altar for family worship. In looking at the  past days, we have all used busyness as an excuse to not have time to read the Bible, not have time to pray, not have time to gather with family and children. I  hope everyone can cherish this special period of time and adjust to the change, because we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.

At home, we need to know three things. First, after the outbreak of the new coronavirus, every day the government gives updates on the "real-time dynamics of pneumonia epidemic situation." Through official authoritative reports, we know the characteristics of the epidemic situation and related prevention and control measures. So we have to be prepared: "We shouldn't think think that because we are Christians we have special protection from God, it's okay." Yes, God will protect us, which is understandable, but we shouldn't test God, we should be prepared for what we need to do.

It is also our responsibility to obey government structures, respect the laws of medicine, observe public order, and undertake good protection measures. We must obey the guidance of relevant departments, try to stay at home as long as possible, not gather in public spaces, avoid the chance of infection, and prevent the spread of the epidemic. This is both protection of oneself and respect for others, and it is the duty of Christian citizens.

Second, what should we do? In the face of the severe epidemic, local governments issued regulations according to their conditions, and all brothers and sisters should act together. We should cooperate with the government's anti-epidemic work arrangements with confidence, and actively cooperate with the regulations, to not only avoid more chaos, but also to be a better witness. Do more good things and do more loving work. Through sanctification we want to holiness and glorify God. In this special period, we can bear good testimony for the Lord!

During this time, there are many moving stories of things that have happened around us. For example, the epidemic in Wuhan was critical, and medical staff across the country risked their lives and went there to give support. When the government put appropriate anti-epidemic measures in place, Christians and the broad masses of people actively participated in the fight against the "epidemic disease" with the attitude of the hosts. When we embrace the world warmly and with love, we know that no matter how long the night is, the day will always come.

Third, what do we pray for? In the face of the epidemic, there are prevention measures that we can do, and some things we cannot control on our own, so we have to pray and look up. Don't try to be lucky, or "only care about yourself without caring for others". We must rise up to pray together for the country and the government; to pray for the medical staff and volunteers who are fighting on the front line; to pray for the sick patients; to help our fellow citizens, relatives, friends, brothers and sisters. At this time, the greatest contribution the church can make to the victims of the epidemic and for those who are suffering from anxiety is to kneel down and pray on both knees. Unbelieving people and those who are Christian in name only do not know the true effect of intercession, so they will despise prayer, but every true Christian knows how powerful the prayer of the righteous is. (James 5:16) The Bible also says: "Pray for peace for that city, and pray for the Lord for that city. Because the city is safe, you will also be safe with it." Let us be prayer warriors. May brothers and sisters cherish their time alone, listen to the voice of the Lord, hope together, and encourage and support those who are fighting the epidemic. May the Lord grant peace and bring an end to the hard times as soon as possible! Ask God to bless China, and hope that the Lord blesses Wuhan, bless our compatriots, and treat everyone kindly!

Finally, remind us to take this opportunity to testify for the Lord.  Although we cannot go out, we can share the gospel with some good gospel movies and gospel video sermons through online platforms.

Here is a special reminder to brothers and sisters--today is an era of information explosion. Recently, in a circle of friends, I saw cults using the influence of the epidemic to publish some heretical Christian messages. If we are not familiar with the Bible, we will fall into their trap. Perhaps I don't know it myself yet, but I can still pass it on to others. I saw some brothers and sisters being drawn into their WeChat group, and there are reports of those groups brainwashing and cheating people. Therefore, dear brethren and sisters, do not easily enter groups that you are not familiar with. It is best to ask the pastor of the church to confirm that the groups are safe. We must have a sense of knowing right from wrong, or we can be easily used by cults. This is why we need to return to the Bible and understand the significance of the pure truth of the Bible.

Pastors and co-workers should pay special attention to the use of the Internet in accordance with laws and regulations, to ensure that the content of the information is healthy, positive, and theologically pure. At the same time, believers should be reminded to prevent heresies by not spreading rumors, misunderstanding the Bible or creating panic. There should not be any ulterior motives in creating or spreading  rumors.

In this plague, I do not know how many people have died and how many families have been broken. I believe that everyone with empathy will cry for them! After the epidemic, there are many people who may suffer from depression. What they need most is not money, but the trust and comfort of the soul! And only those who know the Lord Jesus can have the hope in eternal life and can continue to walk the way ahead.

I even believe that after the epidemic, many people's souls will wake up! I recently saw on WeChat that people are beginning to think about the meaning of life and thinking about the value of survival. Many people lamented that an epidemic let us understand that life is impermanent, and life is short; an epidemic let us understand that money cannot buy life, and material benefits cannot return us to health. The greatest wealth is to be alive; the greatest happiness is to be safe. It was indeed an epidemic that made us truly understand the smallness and fragility of people. During this time humans have finally lowered their proud heads and begun to think more quietly.When  faced with the threat of death, they began to reflect seriously; humans began to understand the power of nature and began to realize how small and helpless they are in the face of disasters. At this time, who dares to say that he does not want God's protection and care! Because we now know that even if this plague has passed, it will still return in the future!

People escaped this time, can they escape next time? Our lives are in the hands of God!

Therefore, we must use various resources (such as the Internet) when people need help, care for those who we can help, and carry out gospel ministry. We must live out love and see our responsibility when others are in need. Jesus once said, "You have done the smallest thing to my brethren, it is done to me." (Matthew 25:40) "These things" refer to the love of Christians. (Matthew 25:40) Moreover, we must remember the lessons of this plague. In the days to come, we will respect life, value our souls, cherish our time, care for those around us, and bring the gospel to them. We live for the gospel, and in any case, we must save more people.

Although we still don't see the light in front of us, and we don't know when the epidemic will end, we know that God cannot make mistakes. Perhaps in the future when we look back,  we will understand the purpose of God in this way; we will know that my suffering really benefits me!

I hope that no matter what the circumstances, we will remember that God knows all of our suffering and also sees every tear in our eyes. He will definitely lead us through suffering and wipe our tears! And what we have to do now is to call on God, wait for Him, and praise Him! I look forward to the day when we can again meet at the church, and I hope that this day will come soon! I miss you, my dear family!

The pastor who cares for you,

February 12, 2020