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Why so? Because the "god of this age," has blinded the
eyes of people in this world. And because of their
unbelief: people are perishing and being unable to see the
glory of Christ. They are fallen into modern temptations
and distractions that keep them from the Gospel.
But the Gospel reveals the true light to us: True light come
out from God. The gospel message we preach: not
ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord.
put God first before our culture, and honour God in the
centre of our culture at the same time. It is also important
that we do not lose the non-religious part of our cultural
heritage as Chinese Christians, while not compromising
our celebration with materialistic or religious, beliefs and
experiences that are superstitious and hence displeasing to
God. Let us consider a few of them.
For example, the practice of astrology, gambling, drugs
taking, smoking, getting drank, worshipping of idols or the
veneration of the dead are strongly forbidden in the Bible.
In the festive spirit of wishing one another blessed new
year, there is the giving of "ang pows" which are red
packets with money to children or to our parents or
grandparents or other children. The giving of “ang pows”
is a good practice of giving, showing love and filial piety
that can be continued by believers.
By way of application:
2 Corinthians 4:3-6 is a passage from the Bible that speaks
about the importance of sharing the gospel with others. The
passage says that even if the gospel is hidden from some
people, it is still the light of the world. It also says that we
should not preach about ourselves, but about Jesus Christ.
Finally, the passage says that God has given us the light of
the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ.
This means that we have access to the truth, and that we can
live our lives with hope and joy. It also means that we have a
responsibility to share this light with others.
By applying 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 to our daily and family
lives, we can make a difference in the world. We can share
our faith with others, focus on Jesus Christ, and live our
lives in a way that reflects our beliefs.
May our gracious Lord grant us true joy, peace, grace and
hope in this Chinese New Year season (which lasts for 15
days traditionally) as we pray for our family and nation
and witness to our relatives and friends for Christ with the
gospel of salvation in an edifying and godly manner and to
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Let us pray:
Lord, you call us to be loving; you challenge us to care;
you enable us to share your grace. We commit ourselves to
be open to you in all things. By your Holy Spirit, give us
the power and the will to demonstrate the love of Christ in
all we say and do and are. In Christ’s name. Amen.