HICTW.ORG

HIC's website is due for a change.

1] We have a new appearance.

2] The Taiwan Expatriate Food Blog has been renamed: Taiwan Expatriate Blog. Please check out the first post, about a special kind of soap:

http://www.hictw.org/taiwan-expatriate-blog/2010/6/23/marseille-soap.html

There will be a potluck on June 27th. Please try to bring some food to share with others: sweet and savory dishes are welcome, as are cake and fresh fruit, or drinks. If you can't bring any food, don't worry! Just bring yourself and enjoy the fellowship.

June 27th will also be the last Bible study for the summer. At 4:45, Anne will talk about how to tell Bible stories. She will  be back on August 11th.

On July 18th, Dorothy & Freddy will be here to share the latest news.

We also hope to see Scott Dreyer, his wife & their four children this summer

2010.06.13 Abiding in God (Frank)

Frank's message focused on "Abiding in God." The message started out by mentioning a Disney/Pixar film called "Up!" a cartoon with a theme of faithfulness.  Up! is about a husband who promises to take his wife to South America. After she dies, he has an unusual way of keeping his promise.

Trailers are available here:
http://www.pixar.com/theater/trailers/up/index.html

Some faith-based movie reviews
http://www.crosswalk.com/movies/11604054/

http://kidstvmovies.about.com/od/up/fr/uprev.htm

The following reviews remind parents that the story may not be suitable for very young children, especially if they are not ready to deal with death:

http://www.parentpreviews.com/movie-reviews/up/

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/up

Wikipedia gives us more details:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_%282009_film%29

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Frank's message touched on the following Bible verses:

1st John 2: 27-29
As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him. And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.

How great is the love that he has showered upon us ...

John 15:
    I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. Every branch that does bear fruit
    No branch may bear fruit unless ... If you remain in me, and I remain in you ...
    As the father has remained in me, so have I loved you

Deuteronomy 8:5
    Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.


Psalm 94:12-14
 Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD, the man you teach from your law; you grant him relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked. For the LORD will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.

The Christian life is not an easy life. It involves a process of pruning

Proverbs 3:11-12
My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline. Rejoice in trials of various kinds.

The Lord is training us.

Revelation 3:19 Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline. Be earnest and repent.

Psalm 119 [about the cleansing that the Word does in our life]

9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.

 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.

 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

 12 Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees.

 13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.

 14 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.

 15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.

 16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

John 17:13, 19
    I am coming to you now. ... that they may too be sanctified.

    sanctify = set apart. The word cleanses us. Reading God's word daily cleaned us.

Ephesians 5:
 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,

27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.  

If you neglect his word, you will not be ready when He comes.

Abiding in fellowship with God and others. We need each other. Staying at home or doing something else won't do the job. That's why it's important to come to church.

James 4:4-10
4You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

5Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?

6But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.

10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

The things of this world are temporary. A by-product of abiding in the Lord is having joy, peace that comes from Him.

Psalm 29:11
     The Lord gives strength to his people. The Lord blesses his people with peace.

Psalm 119:
     that they who love your law, that nothing can make them stumble.

Isaiah 26:3
     You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you.

Isaiah 48:17
 
 17 This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.

 18 If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea. 

    Sharon and Basil were baptized today at the Baptist church on Beida Road.

    Sharon's testimony was followed by Basil's testimony. Pastor Dale then gave us his message:

    2 Corinthians 5:17
    Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

    Not by our efforts. We can try to be good, but ultimately it's in God's hands

    Galatians 2:20
    I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

    I live a life by grace

    John 3:8
    Jesus talking to Nicodemus:

    3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

     4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"

     5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

     9 "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.

     10 "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things?

    There are prophecies that God would take out the stony spirit
    Unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God
    water = baptism? = God's word?
    The wind blows ~ Spirit

    born again = new life
    I came to give you everlasting life (zoe), this everlasting life is abundant

    no other religion has a definite path to salvation
    the old life has been completely wiped away
    You, Jesus, have provided this way for me to be reconciled

    "In him we have redemption through His blood"

    Romans 6:18
        And having been set free from sin, you became slaves to righteousness
        (= bound to Christ, to live for him)
        Obey from the heart, God will help us

    Romans 6:4-8
         4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

     5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

     8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him...

    The cross of Jesus has a transforming power: sin, anger, frustration etc.

    {BAPTISM: Sharon, then Basil}

    Church history:
    Originally Catholics had 7 sacraments: There are seven sacraments in the Church: Baptism, Confirmation or Chrismation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacraments_of_the_Catholic_Church] Protestants kept only 2: Baptism & The Lord's Supper

    (For  Protestants, Communion (Confirmation?) has no meaning for children because a child doesn't know anything)

    Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

    <Amazing Grace>

    We closed our service this month with a 2nd Lord's Supper this month because two members  were baptized






On June 13th, two members are getting baptized, so HIC will be meeting at Beida Road Baptist Church (near the Catholic church). For one time only, do not come to Zion. Bible story time is put off until June 20th. 

Matthew "Sermon on the Mount" is the 1st place where the idea of "forgiveness" occurs
Matthew 6:14-15 for if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

A lot of people carry around a lot of garbage. Do you really believe that God has forgiven you of all your sins? Complete forgiveness means complete freedom from all your fears.

Being hard on others = not willing to forgive others
A person who is very demanding of themselves is usually hard on others as well.

New Christians are often the best at winning souls because of the striking contrast between what they used to be and what they became after being reborn. Old Christians often face a problem: 2nd and 3rd generation Christians start to take their blessedness for granted (I never sin, so God always blesses me).

Matthew 18:24-35 (Parable of the Unmerciful Servant) whose 10,000 talent debt is forgiven, but refuses to forgive another servant's 10 talent debt. The master changes his mind and throws the unmerciful one in prison.

When people learn to forgive, inner peace comes.

Be specific about what you forgive people for. When you can not even remember the sin, you can truly be said to have forgiven. The inability to forgive keeps Christians in perpetual weakness.  

God is the God of Judgement, but he gives us 2nd, 3rd chances.

People love to blame rather than praising God for "saving a wretch like me."

HIC holds prayer meetings every Tuesday 7:00 -- 8:30 on the 3rd floor

Bible Study sessions are held every Sunday 4:00 -- 4:45

Change of venue reminder:

On June 13th, Sharon will be baptized at the Baptist Church in Hsinchu, so please do not come to HIC on that day. Parking is available at the church.

Pastor Dale delivered today's sermon, the theme of which was "Take Up Your Cross"

scripture

"Take Up Your Cross" doesn't fit with prosperity gospel. Many mistakenly assume that since Jesus suffered for us, we don't need to suffer. Why is this wrong?

Matthew 10:38-39
He who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

POINT: Everyone has his own "cross"
In the world, there are many things that you lose if you pursue them.

If you live for yourself, you lose your life. If you want love, you should learn to love. Analogy: priming the pump (put water in to get water out).

Matthew 16:24-25
If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Paul's example
Philippians 3:7-9
 7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

2Cor 5:4
The love of God compels me ...
[= that love compels me to do what I'm doing]
4For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

2Cor:11:23-30
[Paul boasts about his suffering]

Mark 8:34
If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

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Transformation
What Christ did FOR you --> What C. is doing THROUGH you

Did we die to sin? Did we die to the things of the world?

The outworking of the life of C. is sth that happens DAILY, not sth that happens ONCE

WW II analogy: The UK and US had to pay a price (lives lost) so that others could enjoy the blessings of freedom.

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Mark 10:20-21
Teacher, all these I have kept since I was a boy. J. looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack. Go, sell everything you have  and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, and follow me.

Luke 9:23-25

23Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?

Luke 14:27
And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. [STRONGEST FORM of the message]

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Watch this space for new postings!

On June 7th, Dorothy and Freddy talked about their trip to China. Unfortunately, no recording was made.

On May 24th, 2009, Dale spoke about Mark 8 (continuation of a series).

On May 17th, 2009, Chris Fisher, pastor at the Chungli International Church, gave a very inspiring talk on how to share the Gospel.

HIC's English Services will start soon after 5:00 on the fourth floor (we are located in Hsinchu: check our Google Map above for details). Anne will be delivering today's sermon, Dale will be the music leader, and Terrie will be the worship leader. A Bible study will be held on the second floor from 4:00 to 5:00. All are welcome.

Services today will start just after 5:00 on the 4th Floor. Pastor Dale will be preaching, the Music Leader will be Bella, and the Worship Leader will be Anne. A new Bible Study series, led by Anne, will be starting at 4:00 on the 2nd Floor.